


A Companion's Journey

by 1alleycat1 (Coolguy1997)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Beastkin, Betrayal, Cloaca Sex, Companions, Demon Taming, Demons, Elves, Gods, Hate Sex, Hellhounds, Humans, Hypnotism, Incubi, M/M, Massage, Mpreg, Naga, Other, Prayer, Resurrection, demon lord - Freeform, hero - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-13 22:11:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 17
Words: 103,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19260142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coolguy1997/pseuds/1alleycat1
Summary: Joel was bruised, bloody, and surrounded by corpses. So was all of the party there. Demons of every shape and size had came at him and his companions. Armed with his sword, staff, and his martial arts, this monk had done his fair share helping the chosen hero to defeat the Demon Lord. They had gathered from all over the continent of Tramis. Every 300 years, a Demon Lord would materialize on each of the three continents. At that moment a chosen hero of the royal line and six companions would also be born. Their bodies would be marked with the “Sigil of the Hero”, a golden seven petaled flower. The six companions would have “The Companion Sigil”, a silver petal of the flower on their bodies. It was almost 16 years since Joel was born and now it was time to fulfill his destiny.





	1. Chapter 1

Joel was bruised, bloody, and surrounded by corpses. So was all of the party there. Demons of every shape and size had came at him and his companions. Armed with his swords, staff, and his martial arts, this monk had done his fair share helping the chosen hero to defeat the Demon Lord. They had gathered from all over the continent of Tramis. Every 300 years, a Demon Lord would materialize on each of the three continents. At that moment a chosen hero of the royal line and six companions would also be born. Their bodies would be marked with the “Sigil of the Hero”, a golden seven petaled flower. The six companions would have “The Companion Sigil”, a silver petal of the flower on their bodies. It was almost 16 years since Joel was born and now it was time to fulfill his destiny.

Joel was born to common peasants in Parcel, the human country. His mom and dad decided to take him to a monastery near the coast. While simple farmers with no education, they were no fools. A companion was extremely valuable but a target from many factions. Demons, demon worshippers, and people that would want to control a companion would all try to take him away or kill him. This meant they would die as well. When their son was born with a silver petal on his stomach, they knew they had to leave. While if they went to a noble or a military household, they would be given honor and prestige, they might be betrayed or killed. Surely, holy men who worshipped the same goddess as they would be the safest route. They wrapped up their baby and got on their wagon.

At the monastery, the monks took care of the family. While cloistered, the mother and father were able to live a better quality of life than normal farmers and had two other children. They still had chores and were not able to have as much fun as they used to. Growing up, Joel had the responsibility of handling the bees and taking the wax for seals. His younger brother had to take the honey. Both took training in weaponry and martial arts. Joel’s sister was to stay in her room with her mother as per the monastery rules in prayer. Joel and his brother decided to take vows and become monks themselves when they came of age. Joel took a vow of celibacy and his brother took one of poverty. Soon after his father fell ill. The monks all did the best they could but he passed away. During the funeral, as they laid him to rest, Joel felt a piercing pain in his chest. He collapsed and lost consciousness. When he woke up, he was told he would have set out to find the Hero in Snarl.

He was given two swords, a staff, some leather armor to protect himself and a horse. Joel said goodbye to his mourning family before leaving for his destiny. In accordance with his goddess’s words all those in mourning must wear pale colors and a veil. He went alone and within a week of following the map he received from the Buzzseal Monastery, he arrived at the border of Snarl. At the border, he had to present papers. It was better to keep his identity secret. He was hassled a bit by the guards on the Snarl end of the border, but he was able to get through. Tired and hungry, he moved on to the border town. In the town of Redfur, Joel did not get as much attention as he thought he would. They were used to humans passing through. On a grassy hill there was a church. As a religious person, he decided to go and see if he could take refuge for the night. 

As he approached the church, he saw that this church was dedicated to the one of the local beastkin gods. Apparently, this one was a god for good harvest. Opening the door, he saw the that there was Mass in session. He decided to sit in one of the back pews. The priest celebrating was a young Rabbitkin. His sermon was interesting and practical. When the time came up for the parishioners to receive blessings, Joel stayed behind. His goddess was one of wisdom. Her teachings forbid receiving blessings from other gods. Joel really was devout and tried to live out his life as close to her teachings as possible. She also said that all gods are to be respected and that their followers are extended the same respect, so he watched with great attention to what was being said. Soon after the Mass had ended and the hand full of beastkin had left, the priest came up to him from the altar. His ears were drooped down past his face. He had a serene smile and he was wearing vestments.

He was nice and said “Welcome to Redfur. My name is Charlie and I haven’t seen you around before. Are you new in town?”. Joel introduced himself without telling him what he was doing in Snarl. Charlie said “I hope that you find what you are looking for”. As he said that he rested his hand on Joel’s shoulder. As soon as he did that, a current of energy ran through both of them. It centered in their sigil. The two of them jumped apart and drew weapons. Joel took a sword and got into a fighting stance. Charlie had his holy symbol stretched out in front of him in a warding pose. They were held in a deadlock for a minute. “Who are you really!?” Charlie demanded. “I want to know who you are!” Joel said in reply. Charlie was baring teeth. As a rabbitkin, it was not as intimidating but he rolled down his vestments down pass his shoulder. There was a glowing Companion Sigil. Joel rolled up his shirt and showed his sigil. 

Both of them calmed down and put down their weapons. Joel was very relieved that Charlie was an ally, he wouldn’t be sure what to do if it was a demon or a demon-worshipper. “I am glad that I found you. You are the first companion that I met. Have you seen the Hero or anyone else?” Joel asked. The cleric shook his head. “You’re the first I met as well. In fact I was going to town to search for them after Mass. Now that I’ve found you, we could set out to where the Demon Lord had been reported seen. His castle appeared in the north of Snarl almost 2 weeks ago. We should head out tomorrow” he said. Joel agreed and decided to follow him out to town. There they searched for companions covertly. To do this they pretended to trip and fall on others on the street. Most people who knew of Charlie let it go, but others would yell at them and soon they were chased away.

They returned to the church tired and a bit embarrassed. They couldn’t find anyone that could be a companion, and they also made giant nuisances of themselves. The priests wanted to throw a small party for them before they would leave. However, Joel had to decline because he was still in mourning. Instead of a party, they were treated to a hearty meal and Joel was shown to a guest room with a soft bed to spend the night. In the morning, Charlie received supplies and some weapons for the journey. Joel also got some more supplies. They left and traveled north. It was a not completely peaceful journey but Joel did enjoy the company. It was also the first time that Charlie had traveled from his parish. He had taken a vow of stability, so he would not be able to leave even if he defeated the Demon Lord. The two of them were able to bond and develop a fast friendship.

After a few days of traveling, the two found a curious sight. Further down the road, a boy with a cloak was fussing over a horse that was laying on its side. On closer inspection, the horse had broke its leg. The boy was talking to the horse as they approached “... please. I have to keep going. If you want to die, just die. It would be easier for me if you did” he said. He turned around and looked at them as they passed by. He shrank back with a staff that housed a green jewel on top in front of him and went quiet. The two companions stopped to help him. “I was just going North. I can manage on my own thank you” he said. Joel offered to share a horse with him until he could get to where he would need to split off. The boy looked at him for a long moment before agreeing. When he reached his hand toward the boy, the boy took it and held it firmly. The same energy flowed through him. The boy quickly let go of him. Joel was happy and looked toward Charlie “Look! Another companion. We are also going to meet the Hero. We can show you our sigils if you show yours”. The boy undid his cloak, lowered his trousers, and showed them his thigh. Sure enough, they saw the silver petal. Joel and Charlie showed him their sigils as well. The boy tied his cloak up again and took off his hood. 

He said “Thank you. My name is Percival”. He was an elf from Elysium, the country to the far West end of the continent of Tramis. He took Joel’s hand and got on the back of Joel’s horse and held on to him around his waist. It was a weird feeling as no one had ever clung to him like that before. He was able to make it work. Percival was quiet and did not show much on his face. Joel had a veil to conceal most of his face as well. Charlie was the most visibly affected by the conversation they had. He was happy and had a smile on his face. After 2 more days, they came upon a canyon. On the other side of the gap, they could see the tall and imposing black fortress in the distance. A mile away, they could see a small bridge that could get them across. The three companions decided to camp where they were for the night and cross in the morning. They set a fire and took turns on watch. It was uneventful and morning came.

They went down to the bridge and inspected the bridge. It looked like the thin rope and planks would only hold one horse at a time. Charlie took his horse across while Joel and Percival stood watch, one on each end of the canyon. After Charlie crossed safely, it was then time for Joel to bring his horse along. As he got to the middle of the bridge, a strange boy suddenly appeared before him in a puff of smoke. This boy looked like an average 10 year old. He was tanned with red markings all over his shirtless chest. He had dirty, and stringy red hair. His lower half was covered in rags. He was smiling but his eyes showed his malicious intent. Joel was startled and so was his horse. The boy leaned closer and sniffed him. The boy then showed a mouth full of fangs as his smile grew. The other companions were concerned and called his name. “Joel is your name, huh? I want a human. Make a contract with me”. The demon started to walk closer to Joel. He said “I can’t make a contract on a bridge. Please let me cross”. 

The demon stopped and disappeared the same way he appeared. Joel quickly crossed the bridge with his horse. As soon as the horse crossed the demon appeared before the three of them again. “I am Red. My hair and body is red. If I get enough souls I can become an archdevil someday. Your souls are so delicious, I might even be able to kill the Demon Lord” he said, crossing his arms over his chest with pride. “We also want to fight the Demon Lord” Charlie said with a strained smile. Red looked them over and sniffed them. “Yeah, your souls maybe delicious, but your bodies… you are probably going to die a slow death” he said after thinking on it. Percival said “We just want to see the Demon Lord. He comes every few centuries. Can you guide us to his castle? You look like you are a bit strong. Red snarled and said “A bit, I am a demon. I am stronger than all of you. If you want to just throw your lives away, just give them to me”. They all insisted and he sighed. He said “Fine! I’ll take you, but you better have something you want for a contract with me”.

Red lead them on foot as the companions rode their horses. For the rest of the day they made good time and took many shortcuts. As the sun was setting, Red stopped them. He looked around and sniffed the air. “There’s another tasty soul over there. Do you want to check it out?” he said. While he was asking it was clear that he wanted to go. Why wouldn’t he want to? He might actually get a soul out of it. The companions also wanted to go see if it was the Hero or another companion. Red smiled but said “Well, if you want to go, I’ll take you there”. The companions were not sure what to do with Red. Obviously, they couldn’t take him to the party. But how would they get rid of him? It was clear that intimidation or persuasion wouldn’t work. They never fought a demon before so they did not want to start a fight. Hopefully, they could find the Hero and see what they could do together. Red led them to a cave 10 minutes away and they saw a figure outside on the ground. They rushed over. They saw a person in the distance outside of a cave.

The person was a human girl. She was lying in a pool of her blood from a huge gash on her back. The bloody wound was black and infested with many maggots. She was unconscious and it was only a matter of time before she would die. Nothing could save her now. Red turned her over with his foot. The pain made her open her eyes. “You’re dying. What happened to you?” he asked. “The girl said “The cave… a demon… caught me by surprise. Insect demon” she gasped out, fighting the pain. “You must have went in his lair. You’re more dumb than these fools who want to fight the Demon Lord” said Red in a mocking tone. The girl began to cry, but Red put a foot on her mouth. “No one cares! If you want revenge, I’ll kill it for you. But we have to make a contract. Now do you want one or should I put you out of your misery?” he sneered. The girl went still as she made a decision. She nodded and said “Kill him”. Red smiled and started to laugh. Under them, a glowing red pentagram began to form and shine. Charlie got off his horse and tried to stop it but Percival held him back.

Charlie struggled to free himself from his grasp. “We can’t let this happen! She is a Companion!” he said. Percival said “We can’t help her now. If we interfere we might have two demons on our hands in enemy territory. We need more information and find the Hero and other companions. It’s too late to save her. We failed her” was the reply. He looked really sad. This was the most emotion he had shown on his face since they met which caused them to pause. “This is really just too cruel. Red obviously bullied her into this. He is a demon, but I didn’t know that he could be so mean” Joel mused out loud. The other companions also thought the same way. At first they thought that he was a bit too prideful and dumb. Now, they saw him as the threat that he really was. Especially now that he has a Companion's soul.

In the pentagram, Red was performing the dark rites for the contract. Soon the edges of the of the circle caught fire. Red then smiled and said “I am Red, a demon. What is your name?”. The dying girl breathed out in a pained small voice “Lucy”. He then said “You want to form a contract with me, don’t you?” he said with a totally cruel tone. Lucy winced, nodded slowly with a pained expression. “In exchange for your soul, I will vanquish your killer. Is that acceptable to you?” he continued. She nodded again. “Say it!” he yelled as he bent over her. She looked at him and spat blood in his face before saying yes. Red looked annoyed as he wiped his face. “The deal is struck and the contract is complete” he said. The circle got smaller and smaller until the circle center under Lucy. On her forehead, was a red five pointed star. That must have been his mark. He smirked and beckoned the three companions over.

Red showed them the mark. “This is my contract mark. It looks nice, doesn’t it? To be honest this is my first time. I want you all to have it too. Do you want to make a contract?” he asked with a toothy grin. For some reason he put on the friendly act with them again. Charlie was shaking with anger. Joel and Percival just walked past and into the cave. “Wait. I have to go first. I need to find and kill it or I can’t take her soul” Red said. He rushed ahead of them and spread his arms out to stop them. He arrogantly pointed to his chest and said “Stay behind me. I’ll do my best, but if it gets too hot in there, you can leave the cave and wait outside. I’ll take care of this quickly”. Joel patted him on the shoulder and said “We want to practice fighting demons. If you lead, we could get good experience”. Red looked suspicious, but continued forward. After a few steps he turned around. “This is my first soul. I will get the last blow. If you mess this up for me, I’ll kill you”. 

The three companions shivered at the malice he showed them. Red was probably pretty weak if he had never eaten a soul before. However, living sheltered lives with religious people, Joel and Charlie were intimidated. Percival was not as shaken, but he still looked away. After looking at the companions, Red turned around walked into the cave with his arms behind his head. The companions followed him in. In the cave there was the ruins of a camp. This is where Lucy must have been when she was attacked. There was a blood splatter on the wall and a broken lute laying next to to fire pit filled with ash. Further in the cave there was a decline that went further below ground. It was dark and foreboding. Charlie took out his holy symbol and kissed it before murmuring something. Soon it began to glow and illuminated the darkness. Red recoiled away from him. “Stop that! It hurts!” he cried out. 

The other companions were looking between the two of them to see what would happen next. Charlie said “If we don’t have any light we cannot see down there” upset at the interruption. Red said “Right, mortal’s bodies are weak. I’ll light the way, so stop that already”. Charlie hesitated for a member before ending his spell. Red gave him a sideways glance before holding his hand out. A fireball popped out and lit up the cave. It also gave a pleasant warmth that spread to the companions. “See? This is better. I have this under control. Just do what I say”. He then led the way down the decline. Charlie stomped his foot and grunted loudly. Joel tried to calm him down as Percival went down. “We have to see what is going on before we act. Red is dumb so can find a way to escape from him and find the Hero”. Charlie nodded “I know but I just hate that he is making fun of us and we can’t do anything. We are supposed to be fighting evil, but we are just being dragged along by a demon”.

They hurried to catch up to the others. At the base of the decline, they could see a girl with stiff green hair sitting against the wall. She was hissing when the light fell on her. “Who dares interrupt my slumber!?” she said. Red said that they were there to find who killed Lucy. “That human? She was so annoying, plucking on those strings and chattering constantly. I told her to shut up and she had the nerve to challenge me. Stupid bitch! Serves her right, what I did to her. She did manage to escape, so I have no clue where she is”. Red smiled and said “She’s right outside, dying in the dirt. She made a contract that if I killed you, I could get her soul. So get up and let’s fight”. The demoness laughed and said “You are not in my league, minor demon. A true demon like myself could finish you in one strike. She stood up and showed her naked body. She had a hard and green body. It was like a green armor, and not skin encased her body. Where her hands should have been were blades.

The demoness haughtily said “I have been here in this cave for centuries. After great toil, I was able to advance to demon. Look at you, only a few decades old, followed by weak mortals! Do you still dare to challenge me?”. Red look at the three companions. “These guys are going to look for the Demon Lord and fight him. If they die here, then they didn’t deserve to even look at him”. The green demon bristled at his words and said “Traitor! You would escort Companions to the Demon Lord! I will cull you all and bring your corpses to him. Maybe he will promote me for my loyalty”. He lunged and slashed at Red with her blade hands. Red narrowly dodged and prepared to fight. “Get ready and do that thing again if you want to see. I need to focus or we’ll all die!”. Red threw his fireball at her and the room went dark as she batted it away. Charlie used his holy symbol to brighten the lair again. The three companions readied their weapons. Percival readied his staff and a dagger. Joel drew his swords and Charlie reached behind him and took out his mace.

Joel rushed in and swung at the demoness with the sword in his right hand. She parried with her hand and swung at him. He blocked it with his second sword. He moved forward with another strike which she sidestepped and countered. Joel was surprised at the force. It was way harder than anyone ever did in their sparring sessions. And it was not as if the monks held back. Joel could count on two hands how many times he was put in the infirmary for serious wounds. This foe was smiling as if she was just playing with him. A fireball from Red caused them to separate. He jumped in for close combat. He landed some punches and kicks before a swipe caught him across the chest. He jumped back as black blood oozed from the wound. The demoness said “I will teach you all what happens when you fight Mantis”. She smiled viciously at them until a pillar of fire came from the roof of the cave. Mantis tried to evade but she was too late. She was engulfed in the flames and screamed. The pillar disappeared as soon as it appeared. Mantis armor was singed in certain places and her hair was burned off.

Charlie followed up from his spell with an attack from his mace. Joel also charged in with his sword. Mantis snarled and rushed to meet them. She blocked the mace before jumping behind Joel. He turned around as soon as he could to block a strike, but the force made sword in his right hand fly out towards the wall. With his left, he slashed at her chest. A deep gouge in the armor was the result. She was going to jump when a skeletal hand materialized and held her in place. Red jumped in front of her and held out his hands. Two streams of flames flew out from his palms and engulfed her in flames for the second time. He kept it up for a full minute before he stopped to catch his breath. He was clearly out of mana. Mantis was in terrible shape. The green armor was burned and flaking away blisters and burns were visible all over her body. There were even points where bone was exposed. But she was still not dead.

She slowly got up much to the disbelief of the Companions. Even Red was starting to bitterly feel like his life was in danger. “You whelps! I am going to enjoy flaying and torturing you slowly until you die!” she said in a quiet but piercing voice. Suddenly, a sickly green wave of energy washed over her. Everyone looked in amazement to see it come from Percival’s staff. Mantis looked even worse for wear. Parts of her body withered into husks and crumbled off. Her blades lost their luster and fell off as well. Mantis tried to speak but her throat had long since dried out. All that remained were rasps. Red smiled and said “Great job guys. You really can do it if you try I guess”. He went to pick up the sword Joel dropped and disappeared in his puff of smoke. He reappeared behind of Mantis for a blow that toppled her head from her shoulders. Her body crumbled to dust as it fell over leaving a bright green crystal behind. When Red saw it, he got excited and did a little dance. “This is the real deal! I really must have used up all the luck I had for the next century. A demon core and a real soul”.

He grabbed it and the head and beckoned the companions to follow. Charlie went first and Red recoiled again. “I said stop it! That divine light you got really hurts. I’m going ahead I’ll meet you at the opening of the cave” he said indignantly before disappearing again. The companions just shrugged and started to go up they way they came. After a few minutes they had gotten to the top and Charlie stopped the holy symbol from glowing. Red was moving around excited and smiled genuinely when he saw them. This surprised them as they did not know how to handle a happy demon. “Come on. I want to see the look on her face when I rip her soul out. Thank you for your help back there. I could have beat her alone, but it would have taken too long and I might have gotten more serious wounds” he said as he gestured to the still bleeding wound on his chest. The companions were quiet and Red left the cave toward Lucy. She was unconscious and could not open her eyes. Charlie went to her and said a prayer. When he touched her head a golden glow appeared and Lucy opened her eyes. 

She was still dying as there was no way Charlie could fix the wound and expel the disease that had already settled in. However, she thanked him anyway. He nodded and stood back. He looked at Red and said “If you make her suffer anymore, I’ll kill you”. Red brushed it off and placed Mantis’s head on her chest. “Does she look familiar to you?” he said. Lucy begrudgingly nodded, not nearly feeling as much pain as she was truly near the end. “The contract is now complete. I am going to take your soul now… gently” Red added as he looked at Charlie glare at him. He crouched down next to her and whispered a demonic chant. The same pentagram that sealed the contract made a second appearance under them. He reached down to Lucy’s chest and pushed further. Her breath caught at the supernatural intrusion. He moved his arm and pulled it out. In his hand was a bright white ball. Lucy’s eye began to tear up and as the tear fell, she breathed her last and died.

Red celebrated with whoops and cheers. He had really triumphed in his mind. Not only did he defeat a stronger opponent and win, but he now had his first soul. In addition to this, according to demon law, her lair and treasures became his. In contrast, the three Companions were sad and felt helpless. A companion had died in front of them and there was not much they could do for her. It seemed that the only one there that had anything good happen to them that day was Red. As the sun had already gone down, it was time for them to make camp for the night. Because of this, Red decided to let them into his cave. He put the lute in the fire pit and set it alight. Charlie was about to get up and say something, but Percival pulled him back down. Red sat next to them. After they had eaten the food that they had prepared, Red stood up. “Mortals need food to eat but demons don’t. I’m going to show you something cool. You can tell your children about how a nice and cool demon showed you how a demon eats”. The companions were looking at him with blank stares.

Red saw the dull reactions in the cave and his excitement died down a bit. Red then took out the green crystal and held it up. “This is a demon core. All demons have them in their bodies. The size changes based on how powerful the are. Mine is a bit smaller than this. It is also their weak point. Every demon has them in a different place. Mine is right here in my right side, right near my hip. See?” he said as he demonstrated with his finger. The companions nodded, and then stared shocked that he would be so dumb as to tell them that. Red raised the crystal to his smiling mouth and swallowed it in one go. He loudly gulped and stood in front of them. A red light flashed across his chest as the wound healed as if it was never there in the first place. He also started to sigh. “It feels really good. The energy is coursing through me!” he giggled like the child he looked like. He slumped down and grabbed his sides in glee.

After a couple of minutes he stood up again. He certainly looked like he was happy. “Now I’m going to tell you about demons. There are six levels of demons. They are minor demon, demon, archdemon, devil, archdevil, and finally the Demon Lord. I am a minor demon. You want to see the Demon Lord. Mantis was a demon. Do you really think you can beat him?” he asked. The Companions were silent. Red smirked and said “Demons can mover to a higher level in four ways. The first way is to survive for a very long time. I’m only 70 years old. I’m very young for a demon. The second way is to cannibalize. If you can gather enough demon cores you can force yourself to get to the next level. No one knows how many you need but they say some have done it before. The third way is to find a source of energy. The world has many sources of energy. Demonic, celestial, and natural energy sources are all over the world. If a demon could rest in it, they would get stronger. The fourth way is to eat souls”.

The companions listened intently and nodded their heads at the appropriate time. Red was babbling about important information that none of them heard before. It would be very useful if they could get back to tell people, especially the Hero. Red pulled out the soul he took from Lucy’s body. “This is a human soul. This is my first soul too, so don’t worry we can all look together”. He brought it to the others so that they could look at it. It looked shiny and bright and had congealed into an orb. “Hmm. This soul is weird … smells like flowers and there is a silver streak swirling around in it. I don’t know what this is… but I really, really want to eat it”. Red said. It seemed as if he was really deliberating on eating it. “You shouldn’t eat that. You won’t be able to handle it” Percival said leaning closer. Red clutched it to his chest protectively and said “What do you know!? You want it for yourself. Don’t think I didn’t see what you were doing in the fight, necromancer! I’ll eat it”. He opened his mouth wide and tossed the soul in with a loud gulp. He smiled proudly at them. 

A few seconds later, the smile was wiped off his face. "Ow! Owowowowow! What’s going on. It hurts! The power is overflowing!” Red collapsed and started writhing on the floor. Joel got up and went to help him. When he touched Red’s skin his palms blistered instantly and he fell to his knees in pain. The other companions sprung into action. Charlie started healing Joel’s hands and Percival attended to Red from a distance. “How are you feeling?” he asked Red. “I’m dying! It feels like my core is going to explode!” was the reply. He was clutching his side, where he said his core was. His voice was pained and scared. “Maybe this is what you were talking about with moving up to another level” he reasoned. Red shook his head. “No! There is a ritual for that to stabilize our cores and our bodies. This is different. Help me!” he screamed, steam rising from his body. Percival was concerned for his safety and backed up. “Try the ritual. It might help at the very least” he said. Red had tears coming out of his eyes, but he nodded and tried to get into a sitting position. 

He choked out a ritual chant in an infernal language and a pentagram big enough to contain him appeared from under him. He continued the chant as the edge of the circle caught fire and a dark ward surrounded it cutting him off from the rest of the group. Inside the circle, the companions could see a transformation take place. The red markings on his body grew larger and more spread out over his chest and back. He screamed as if it caused him great pain. The flames grew in height from a few inches of the ground to three feet. The temperature raised dramatically in the cave and it became very warm there. Soon the flames died down and the ward faded away. Red was still twitching when he lurched forward. He got up and looked at his body. “Ha. Look, I did it! I became a full demon. You were right necromancer, I-” he said before he fell back to one knee. “No, come on not again! Damn it! I still have too much energy. Was Lucy a god or something!? That bitch!” he said clutching his side again. Instead of writhing in agony, he was just wincing in pain and annoyance. That spoke to the greater strength of his body. He still had a firm hand where his core would be. “Do it again” Joel urged from where he was. Everyone looked at him in amazement.

Red looked at him simply. “I know that ritual you saw was intense and cool, but no one has ever done two advancements in a row before. That would be crazy” he said before grunting again in pain. Joel looked at him and said “That soul was not a normal one. Do it or you might die” he said. Red narrowed his eyes at him until another wave of energy flowed through his core and caused another stab of pain. He sat down and began his chant. The pentagram appeared again, but this time the circumference was twice as large. Red was able to get through the beginning of the ritual much easier. The flames around the glowing pentagram rose from three feet to seven feet high. The cave became swelteringly hot. The three companions began to sweat from the heat. The ward that rose from the pentagram become slightly more opaque than the first one. As they looked through the ward they saw Red on the ground moaning. From his forehead sprouted two red horns. It took a couple of minutes as the horns grew out inch by inch. By the time it was done, the horns were a foot long. They were black and curved upwards.

This time Red looked really exhausted. He smiled to himself as he laid on the floor. “Thank you. I am now a archdemon. I still have some power leftover” he mused. Percival nodded and said he was welcome. Joel’s hands were healed but tender. He thanked the cleric but he was not paying attention. Charlie was looking at the prone archdemon with murder in his eyes. Red laid down for an hour before getting up with a long stretch. He looked at the companions with great distrust. He walked up to each of them and sniffed them. “You guys have been tricking me. First of all, you all smell like Lucy. Secondly, you want to go to the Demon Lord and fight him. Third, Mantis called me a traitor for helping you. Are you guys those hero guys?”. Joel stepped forward and said “The of three of us are Companions. We were going to find the Hero and help him fight the Demon Lord. Lucy was a Companion as well. That was probably why her soul was so powerful. Do you want to join us?” he asked.

Everyone was surprised Charlie got up and said “You can’t be serious!? He is a demon. We can’t bring him along!”. He was very upset at the idea. Red seemed to think about it. “Well, I said that I was going to bring you there. Now that I think about it, if you can kill strong demons, I can take the cores. On the other hand, I already advanced twice today. My spawn mantes are going to be so jealous. And if it is true that Lucy was a Companion, I could steal Mantis’s idea. If I took her body and pledged myself to him, I would be a legend. No one would challenge my authority....” he trailed off as he thought. The three Companions took the time to stand together, readying themselves for his decision. Red looked at them and smiled. “You guys are really nice, you know. You saw a minor demon on the path and you entertained him for a day. Then you helped me in battle. You even saved my life when I lost my cool a while ago. I’ll take you to the Hero” he said with a big smile, showing even sharper fangs.

Percival stood up and said “I don’t see a problem with it either way. Just make sure you behave yourself. If that’s it we should get to sleep. I think the lair would be best for the night. No one can see us right away, and we could know if someone was coming to us”. Red nodded and told them to them go ahead. He said he wanted to test his powers and would return by morning. He disappeared, but instead of the usual puff of smoke, it was a large eruption of flames. The companions just shrugged and went down the decline. After their battle and the excitement of Red’s advancing, they were ready to go to sleep. When they woke up, they saw that Red still had not returned. Lucy’s body was still outside, so they knew that he did not betray them. They ate breakfast in peace and quiet when they heard an eruption of flames coming from outside the cave. Then they heard Red call out to them. It seemed like there were other voices with him. They packed their things, readied their weapons and walked out the cave. Red was waving like an idiot at them. There were two demons with him, one on each side.


	2. Chapter 2

The two demons looked like Red did when they first met him. “These are two of my spawn mates, Yellow and Green. They didn’t believe me when I told them what happened. See, three of the Companions. Now, help me guide them to where the Hero is”. The yellow demon snarled and said “White will never allow this! Besides, how are we going to betray the Demon Lord? We should just kill them and get on with it”. The companions readied their weapons and got into a fighting stance. The green demon just sighed “Red, how are we going to get all the way to the Demon Lord? There is no way others will just let us go”. Red smirked and said “We got a great team. Three Companions, one archdemon and two minor demons. Besides, I’ll give you all the demon cores lower than archdemon”. The yellow demon made an obscene gesture before disappearing in a flurry of yellow sparks. Green was still there. Red pleaded “Please Green. A real legendary adventure. A chance to advance. Protection until it gets really hard”. Green sighed and said “No matter how strong, you’re still an idiot. I have to make sure you don’t get killed. Just remember what you said”.

Percival walked up to the Lucy’s corpse. “She deserves to see the final battle. I’ll take her along” he said. He then took out several vials from his pouch. He sprinkled them on the corpse before chanting a spell. The jewel on his staff began to glow green and the corpse began to twitch. Soon it rose. Charlie was startled and said “You animated a corpse!? Stop it and put her to rest! She suffered enough”. Red smiled at Green and said “I told you there was a necromancer in the group”. Percival ignored him and told the zombie to mount Joel’s horse. Joel raised an eyebrow but let it go. The more things on their side, the better. They were ready to go after the three companions mounted the horses. Joel had to hold on to Charlie’s waist. If being held felt weird, holding onto someone else was weirder. He hadn’t needed to do this since he was a child. An hour into the journey, they ran into a group of demons. There were five of them and they looked like they wanted to cause problems. 

The leader was a demon that looked like a large plant and his minions were minor demons. He said “What are you doing in our territory? Get out or get killed”. Red had a cruel smile as he said “I am leading people through. We are going to pass. Don’t stop us”. The leader growled and said “I like our odds. Some of your group are already dead”. Red raised his hand and swiped it in front of them. In seconds, they burned to ash after a few agonized screams. In place of their bodies, five demon cores shined in the light among the ash. He picked them up and gave them to Green. He had a pleased gleam in his eye when he had them in his hands. He swallowed them one by one. He had a small smile as the energy flowed in him. A yell caused them to turn around. An archdemon was charging toward them. This demon had two horns that looked like tree bark. The demon looked well muscled and tall. Red raised his hand and charged his attack and a pentagram appeared in front of his palm. He released it and a huge fireball flew toward the charging demon.

The demon was engulfed in flame and yelled out. The flames burned him very badly and he was shriveling up. It was not enough to kill him though. He continued to barrel toward them with a roar. Red then stood in front of them “Get behind me. He is very strong” he said. He then made his usual disappearance and appeared in front of the enemy. He punched the demon hard and knocked him off his feet. He then jumped on top of him and started to viciously attack. He ripped out the horns, burned him and continued to rain down fiery blows. The demon tried his to defend himself but it was futile. Soon the demon under Red was dead and he burned the corpse to ash. As he was going to pick up the core, Green appeared and snatched it. Red crouched low and snarled at him “Give it back to me. I killed him myself. I want to eat it” he said as he starred his spawn mate down. Green said gave a low growl himself. “I got it first. The only reason I came on this dumb trip was because you said I would be able to advance. If an idiot like you could break through, I would have no problem”.

Joel got between the two demons and said “If your spawn mate gets stronger, the trip will get easier”. Red reluctantly agreed. Green swallowed it quickly. As the great power rushed into him, he collapsed on the ground. “What’s going on!? This really hurts. Red, did you do something to the crystal!? Ow!”. He was writhing on the ground in pain. A light breeze had picked up and originated from Green. Red crouched down over him and said “Told you you couldn’t handle it. This is it, though. Time to advance, Green!” He helped Green sit up as Green started the ritual. Red stepped back as a green glowing pentagram formed under him. The breeze swirled around the pentagram and intensified into a proper wind. Much like Red’s first transformation, the green markings enlarged and spread out. The ritual completed and Green was now a demon. Green got up and looked over his body. He must have liked what he saw because he smirked. “How do I look?” Red circled him and really looked. “Huh, it’s okay. I only spent a few minutes in this level before I advanced again. I was in pain then too” he said.

Green frowned and said “My idiot spawn mate can’t read the mood. I wanted a nice compliment, fool”. Red scratched his cheek in embarrassment. “Not in front of the Companions, Green. They think I’m cool”. Green looked at them critically and said “If you really believe that, you’re a bigger fool than even him”. They continued on their way. After another couple of hours, they reached a cliff overlooking the black fortress of the Demon Lord. Red and Green caught a scent and started sniffing the air. “I smell more really delicious souls” Red said. Green sighed and explained “You mean Companions. My senses are not as sharp as his, so I can’t find where it is coming from. I hate it, but we have to let him lead”. Red pouted but he led them anyway. After an hour and a half, they saw a group of people. Percival said “Let us lead from here. We don’t want them to try to fight you”. Charlie was quiet because he was displeased with how everything had turned out. Joel was ready to meet the rest of the Party.

When they approached the others, a female lionkin stepped forward in full armor. She had unsheathed her sword and was in a defensive pose. “State your purpose and do not come any closer!” she bellowed. The three male Companions stated their names and showed their sigils. It was then when Percival had Lucy show the sigil on her body. It was on her foot. The rest of the Party looked at her with distaste. In fact the young man looked somewhere between hurt and rage. But as soon as it appeared, it disappeared from his face. Joel was concerned but there was nothing he could say to defend themselves. He just stood there with the others and waited to see what would happen next.

The young man with electric blond hair and gray eyes greeted them saying “Hello, I am Prince Gregory, the Hero for this generation. This lovely lady is Susan”. He pointed to a female elf to his side. “This brave young woman is Brittany” he said gesturing toward the lioness. The Hero carried a golden greatsword on his back. It must have been the golden Sword of Heroes. The sword that grants a worthy hero the power to kill the Demon Lord. Red and Green peek out from behind them and introduced themselves. They were initially hostile until Percival and Joel spoke on their behalf. The Hero had a very strained smile and asked if they had detained them. Joel explained how they were using their help as guides.

Green saw how they looked and said “We don’t want to join you. We want to go up the fortress after you so we can collect demon cores”. The Hero looked skeptical of the plan, but agreed. “Come here Companions, I must perform the ritual to bring out your true potential” he said to them as he beckoned them closer. The three stood before him and knelt. “Companions, as fate repeats, so must the legend and service of the Hero. As the Hero of this era, I call upon you to come to my aid in this noble and holy mission” he intoned. He then bent over and kissed them each on the forehead. They felt warmth and power surge through them from their heads all the way down to their toes. They felt stronger and healthier than they did before. The party decided to go down and invade the fortress. Joel and the others and drew their weapons and marched forward to the fortress. As they approached they could hear a loud bell ring out and the doors open. Out came a crowd of twenty demons.

As the Party charged, the three that spent the last 24 hours learning all about demons could see that they were all minor demons. They were confident that they could handle them. As they engaged the crowd, they sliced through them. Lucy’s body was unfortunately destroyed in the fray. Gregory got mad and fought even harder after that. After not much time at all, the crowd was all destroyed. The Party pressed on and entered the fortress of the Demon Lord. Inside, there were a good 10 demons. They put up a harder fight than the minor demons outside, but the Party still prevailed over them. At the back of the room, there were two set of stairs, each going up in two different directions. The male Companions were assigned the left staircase while the rest went up the right. As the Hero set foot on the stairs, Red and Green entered the fortress. The Hero shook his head and hurried up the stairs. “He could have at least say hi” Red said in indignation. Joel told them the situation and asked them to follow them up the stairs. Red was confused until Green explained it to him “They don’t like us. He thinks that they might try to betray us and kill us while these guys are away”.

Red thought about it and nodded. “We’ll go up your stairs then. We can always circle back and get those demon cores later” he said. Green scoured the room for the 10 demon cores. He ate them quickly and told them to go ahead. The three companions went up the left staircase with the demons in tow. They scaled the steps, killing anything and everything in their way. They would clear the rooms and exterminate anything inside. Halfway up the staircase, they had long separated from the demons as eating took a higher priority than following or fighting. They came across a bronze door. It obviously housed a powerful foe. As they stepped past it, a ward appeared that blocked their path. The turned back and entered the room. In the room, lavish furniture and the smell of blood greeted them. A chuckle rang out from the back of the room. A archdemon stood up from his soft bed and walked to a weapon rack and perused his options. “So it is time to cull the great Companions. You are no match for me. Know the might of Grip and tremble in fear!”. He yelled as he pulled a great sword out and walked calmly to them.

Joel stepped up to meet him and their swords clashed loudly. He picked up the pace of his attacks and slashed, swiped and stabbed faster than ever before. Grip was able to keep up with him when he dodged to the left to escape the pillar of fire Charlie summoned. A blast of cold magic came from Percival’s staff. That connected with the archdemon and he grunted. Joel took his staff and struck Grip. A bolt of light from Charlie struck Grip while he was engaged with Joel. This caused him to stagger back leaving an opening for Joel to exploit. He struck him hard in the head, cracking one of his horns. Above him, a cloud formed to unleash a hailstorm that focused on him. It hurt him a bit. Joel threw his staff down and lunged forward with his sword in his right hand. He stabbed him in the chest. Grip smiled cruelly before pulling the sword out. Charlie and Percival both rushed him and put hands on Grips body. Charlie created a stream of searing flames at point blank range. Originating from where Percival’s hands were, the flesh on Grip’s side started to rot and decay. 

On close inspection there was a glow under his rib. Grip roared and pushed them all back and covered his weak point. He moved from under the abusive storm clouds and sighed in relief. Grip chuckled and said “Certainly you are strong to get this far, but it is no reason to get excited. You won’t leave here alive”. He raised his hands and a black orb materialized. It expanded to engulf the whole room. Joel and Percival doubled over and started retching and throwing up. Charlie had a golden aura surrounding him. He charged with his mace and swung it at his ribs. It connected with Grip’s core, and he helped as he backed up and fell on his back. Another pillar of fire fell on him and he cried out. The dark aura dissipated from the room. Joel and Percival were able to recover. Grip was on the ropes as Charlie continued to aims spells at his ribs and viciously bashing him with the mace. It looked like Charlie was having a good time working out his pent up aggression and frustration. Joel picked up his sword and walked over. He stabbed over the core and Grip went still as his body started to slowly disintegrate. “You may have killed me but you can rest assured that you will suffer dearly for this mortals” he spat out with his last breaths. 

The core was cracked but still intact. They took it with them as they left the room. Red and Green were coming up the stairs as they closed the door. Green had advanced again as Red had no interest in cores below archdemon. Now he looked like Red’s twin. The only difference was where Red’s horns curved straight up, Green’s curved to the sides in a “U” shape. “Well, I really hate praising an idiot, but this has been exciting. Don’t worry we took care of the ones coming up behind you on this staircase” Green said. Red pouted and said “Well, this idiot advanced to archdemon and consumed a Companion's soul. What did you do except doubt me. Saying that, thanks for helping me out of trouble back there”. Percival said “I love how much of an idiot you are. Not many would just tell someone where their demon core is”. Green looked shocked. “Red, you’re dumb but please tell me they’re lying”. Red scratched his cheeks “I don’t see the problem. Mine is in my side by the hip. Your’s is above your navel. It’s important allies share these things. What if someone tried to sneak up on us? They could protect us as we help them”. Green looked furious. 

Joel tossed Red the core they got from Grip. Red swallowed it immediately and giggled. The five of them went up the stairs as the ward had disappeared. They soon came to a silver more ornamented and crafted than the previous bronze one. “This one is obviously stronger than an archdemon. We should work together”. The two demons nodded and gestured for them to go first. The Companions went in and saw the occupants. A minor demon was serving a red liquid to a pair of strong opponents. One was of them pure white and the other was pure black. They had draconic wings and bony tails. Their horns were wickedly long and pointy. Red and Green charged forward. “White, Black, what are you guys doing here!? We missed you!” Red said as he wrapped his arms around them. Green said “They told us they were going to be here. You were busy teasing Indigo”. The two demons were surprised but showed affection towards them by tugging on their hair and returning the embrace. “What are you doing here? Also, how did you advance so far so fast?” White asked. “What I need to figure out above all is why you are with the Companions? Depending on the answer, I might have to do something rash” Black rumbled in a deep voice. 

Red turned to the Companions and said “These are our sires, the devils White and Black. These Companions are strong and nice. They let us eat the cores of the demons they kill and I even got to eat the soul of a Companion. Look how far we advanced in just 2 days”. The two devils looked at the companions wearily before looking at their spawn. “Well, I guess that’s fine. What are you going to do now? Fight or flight?” White said in a cooing voice to Red and Green. Joel spoke up saying “We only want to defeat the Demon Lord. If you let us pass we can let the four of you be. When the Demon Lord is dead and gone you can split it four ways". That caught their ear and they decided it was a good deal. Black whispered a dark chant and said “Go ahead. If you do not follow through on your deal… hmm”. The companions left and sure enough the path was clear. They quickly rushed up the stairs and soon found the rest of the Party in front of the Golden door. This door was giant and very ornate. It radiated negative energy from the door and looked foreboding. The Hero said “Good job on reaching thus far in such short time. We were not waiting long. Have you seen those two demon guides?”. 

Charlie was upset and said “They found their sires and decided to wait in luxury while we fight. Don’t worry, if we kill the Demon Lord, they will take the core and split it for themselves so they can get stronger”. The Hero looked at them and said “That might prove problematic. I guess we will cross that bridge when we get there. I found it an honor to fight with you and even if we may not all survive, our memory shall live on forever”. It was a rousing speech and it encouraged the Party to open the doors. Inside was an expansive throne room adorned with gold and obsidian that was cold and caused the members of the Party to shiver. Halfway to the throne room was a font that showed what was going on in the tower. The party could see White, Black, Red and Green get served that red liquid and pampered by the minor demon. It made them a little upset to see that. The Demon Lord said “Irritating isn’t it? For me it is unforgivable. When I’m done destroying you all, I will make them regret being alive”.

The Demon Lord got out off his throne and walked to meet them. Brittany walked forward and and drew her sword. The Demon Lord smirked and drew a rapier from under his cloak. They met with a clash and the party also charged. It was going to be a hard fought battle. The Demon Lord casted dark magic and was a master swordsman. The Hero, Brittany, and Joel were the main attackers, Susan was a second line of attack when there was an opening. Charlie was buffing the Party and Percival was attacking with spells in the back. The Demon Lord cast a mass confusion spell and divided them. Susan and Brittany turned their blades on the Hero and Joel. 

The Demon Lord watched from his throne as the Party had to stop them before continuing. Joel had to wrestle Susan to the ground and restrain her. While this was happening, the Hero knocked Brittany unconscious. Losing two of the Party was very dangerous but The Demon Lord looked worse for wear. Prince Gregory reached behind him for the hilt of the Sword of Heroes. As he unsheathed it it gained a blinding radiance. “No! How are you able to wield it now. Could you have been able to all along? I must say I don’t like being toyed with”. He reached his arm out and it disappeared in a dark rift in space. As he pulled it out of the void, a sword cloaked in black flames was revealed. The true final battle was going to begin. The Demon Lord fought with the desperation of a man who knows his time has come. The Hero suffered great wounds, but stayed strong in the face of the danger. Soon he was able to find an opening and plunged the sword into the chest of the Demon Lord. “Congratulations, great Hero and Companions. Next time I shall be victorious and I will dance on the ashes of your descendants and desecrate your graves”. 

The Demon Lord’s body caught fire and slowly disappeared. A large black core the size of a fist fell to the floor with a dull thud. Percival raised his staff and brought it down, crushing it into five pieces. The doors opened and four demons suddenly appeared in front of Percival. “Are you ready to live up to the deal?” came the deep rumble of Black. He nodded and gave them each a piece. He then gave a second piece to White “Give this piece to Indigo. It will probably piss Red and Yellow off” he said. White smiled before taking it. “Thank you Companion. If you made a contract with me now, I would ensure that all your descendants would want for nothing” she said. “Nice try” was the reply before he walked away. White shrugged and disappeared in a blinding flash of light. “Can’t blame her for trying, right” Black chuckled before he too disappeared in a cloud of darkness. The rest of the party watched the exchange with a multitude of expressions on their faces. The Hero looked like he wanted to say something, but he held his tongue. Susan didn’t care and was going to return to her lands. Charlie was angry but he knew better than to start a fight he didn’t think he could finish. Joel was pleased as it was a fair exchange and he had grown fond of Red and Green.

Red looked around and said “Now, it is the time we have been waiting for. Red and Green’s advancement time!”. Green sighed and said “Are you sure? This seems like a poor choice of venue”. Red nodded and tossed his fragment in his mouth. Green carefully swallowed his. Smoke came from multiple orifices of their face and they collapsed in pain “Why does it always need to kill us when we advance?” Green asked in agony. Red grit his teeth and spat out “This is going to be a big one!”. The two demons started their chants and giant pentagrams spread from under them. The wards were translucent but the edges of the circles were intimidating enough. Red’s flames reached 10 feet high off the ground. A strange black energy started to circle through the flames until they turned black. The fount made of stone melted in the heat. Green’s pentagram had a black cyclone circling. The force made the Party have to brace themselves. This went on for a half hour. When the flames and wind died down, and the wards were no longer visible, the two new devils were revealed. They looked similar to White and Black. Their horns grew six inches with a black base. They had the wings and tails that their sires had in their signature colors.

The pain and advancement left them delirious. Charlie was going to walk up to them, but their bodies gave a recoil that didn’t look healthy as a black aura rose from them. The two glowing pentagrams resurfaced again and the Hero said “We need to get out of here. Quickly!” as he started sprinting for the door at the far end of the hall. The party followed his lead and left. They hurried down the stairs on the right side and got to the lobby on the first floor when they heard an explosion that rocked the fortress. “The fortress collapses after the Demon Lord dies. Those two are not making things better. We’ll leave them to their own devices”. Everyone nodded and left the fortress. When they got to their horses, Susan told them that she would return alone as there was a pressing matter for her to attend to. The Hero let her go and she made her way over to Elysium. The rest made their way to the canyon. It took a couple of days but they made it there without incident. 

Joel was the last to cross the bridge with his horse. Halfway through Red appeared before him again. He looked the same as he did when they last saw him. This time he had a bone scepter with a large red crystal. He was also wearing a cloak that made him look quite handsome. Green was also there. He looked similar but instead of a scepter, he had a whip. “You can’t leave without a send off. Didn’t you want to see us as archdevils. Look at my demonic weapon! It’s so cool”. Green quietly brandished his whip in agreement. “Thank you guys. Not only did you help me out but you also empowered my spawn mates and sires. We will be the ones ruling until the next Demon Lord” he said with a malicious laugh. Joel looked past him and said. “I need to pass”. Red’s face fell and he pouted. “You’re no fun. You will always be welcome here, but even I’m not dumb enough to think I’ll ever see you again. Farewell, Joel, Necromancer, and Cleric”. Both of them disappeared for good. From there, Charlie went back to his church in Redfur and the rest went to a different town to catch a ship to the capitol city.


	3. Chapter 3

Instead of going to Redfur, the triumphant party made their way to the city of Hollowclaw a rich port city where a ship was waiting to take them to the capitol of Parcel. It took a day of riding leisurely but the city was a marvel for Joel. He had never seen such a big city before. He thought about how his family would love to hear about it. He then began thinking about how he wouldn’t be able to tell his father about it. He stopped riding and began to cry for the first time since his dad died. Everyone else stopped to see what the problem was. When he talked about his family, the other companions were sympathetic and told him about their families and friends that they had lost. Gregory was quiet and didn’t give much comfort to Joel. After a couple hours, they reached the city gates. The guards asked who they were and Gregory brandished his golden sword and proclaimed “We are the victorious Party who vanquished the dreaded Demon Lord! We seek audience with the esteemed mayor!”. They were let in immediately and brought to to mayor in his manor.

The mayor was a relatively young wolf-kin in his late twenties. “So this is the Party that defeated the Demon Lord, is it?” he asked approvingly. “I’ve always heard the Party was a group of seven mighty warriors chosen by the goddess of fate herself. I count four here. Were there a bit of casualties, or what?” he said as he took notice of the lack of numbers. “There was one only casualty in our quest. Our cleric had to return to his church as his vows demanded. Our rouge also had some pressing matters in her homeland. The companions before you are going to return to the capitol with me for the ceremony and, if they accept, will be given positions in the court” Gregory said in a strained tone. The mayor remembered his place and said “Yes. I forgot myself in my awe of you. Surely you know I meant no offence? Surely, a meeting such as this deserves a feast. No, 2 days of celebration! Crier, tell the people the next two days will be of celebration. Tonight I will host you in my residence and have a feast in your honor”. This was agreeable to the Party and they were led to separate rooms.

Joel rested in his room for a few hours until he heard a knock on the door. It was a servant who brought a set of fancy clothes. He politely declined the offer, saying the clothes were way too extravagant for him. The young servant looked upset and took the clothes away, closing the door behind him. Soon after, the mayor came to his room. “I have heard that the clothes I had prepared were not to your liking?” He said in an asking tone. “I meant no offence, milord. I am a monk and in mourning. It would not be appropriate to be feasting before I can come to terms with the death of my father” Joel said. The mayor looked a bit concerned. It was probably due to the fact that he could not be angry with a Companion who had lost a parent. “I was not aware and it is no problem. Would you like to talk with my chaplain to attend to your spiritual needs?” he asked. Joel smiled faintly behind his veil and said “I would like that. The sooner the better I believe”. The wolfkin mayor turned on his heels and left, closing the door behind him. Joel got ready and waited for the chaplain. The chaplain was an old lizardkin man who used a staff as a walking stick. Joel hurried to help him and placed the chair that he had been sitting on under the chaplain so he could sit. The chaplain chuckled and said “You’ve dealt with the elderly a lot in your monastery”. Joel nodded and waited respectfully for his words.

The chaplain gazed on the figure before him. Joel was standing in front of him, dressed from head to toe in a pale blue robe with a dark veil covering his face. From his posture and the way the mayor explained the situation, this Companion needed to talk and pray about his father’s death in order to end his period of mourning. At first he talked about his parents and how he coped with their deaths. Joel listened to him attentively.“My child, death is certainly a concerning affair. It is only natural one would grieve the death of a parent. A parent loves their child and will protect and shelter them from all harm they can. Certainly, being the parent of a Companion must not have been an easy task. It only goes to show the love and care he had for you to take you to the monastery. It take a real man to acknowledge his limits and take action accordingly. I’m sure he would have some stories to tell that would make the court here laugh and cry. It is a shame I could not meet him child. Take heart however, as death is not the end. Your father is with the gods now serving their will in the next life. It is written that the good shall know peace in this life and the next. I suggest that you take the night to reflect on your father and your love to him. It might also do some good for you to write a letter to your mother. She would want to hear from you” he said. Halfway through he could hear stifled sobbing coming from him. He gave a moment for him to get a handle on his emotions and continued.

Reaching the end of his encouraging words, the chaplain looked at Joel to see how he had taken it. The crying was usually a good sign. Joel bowed his head and said “Thank you, Wise One. I will take your kind words to heart and pray on this. Please give the mayor my thanks and my apologies. I will be in my room until tomorrow and will not have dinner. A servant can bring food to me if he wishes for me to eat his delicious meal. The chaplain offered a blessing, which Joel declined as his goddess taught him to. The chaplain nodded his head and, with Joel’s help, rose from the chair walked to the door. Joel followed him to the door. After a fond farewell, he closed the door gently after the old chaplain. 

Joel knelt near his bed and began to pray. Joel loved Agrella, his goddess, and was devout in his worship. While not called to be a cleric like Charlie, able to channel Agrella’s power as his own, he loved to think of her watching over him and his family. After 2 hours had passed, a knock on the door had interrupted him from praying. He got up to see who it was and saw it was the servant who had brought the clothes earlier. Joel apologized for being so difficult to the leopardkin girl and asked why she was there. “Milord, I have brought the food served for dinner today. Please enjoy” she said as she left the room. He took the food the servant left and began eating. There was mutton and mead with a side of potatoes. For desert, there was a large slice of cherry pie. He thanked the goddess for the meal and returned to prayer. After a couple of hours he got undressed and ready for bed.

The next day early in the morning, Joel woke up and got dressed in the clothes he had been wearing. He left the room without his mourning veil and walked down to the parlor to wait for the rest of the Party and the mayor. Servants were up and surprised to see him and made sure to greet him and show respect deserving of a major guest. Joel was polite and told them not to mind him as they went on with their chores. The leopardkin girl came up to him and asked if he wanted anything. He asked if the clothes that she had wanted to give him were still around. She smiled and went to get it. When she gave the clothes to him, Joel excused himself and returned to his room to change his outfit. It was a soft green cotton shirt and fashionable light brown trousers. It was so comfortable in fact that that he couldn’t help but smile as he left his room to return to the parlor. When he got there he found the seat he had been using occupied by Gregory. Joel kneeled in front of him and introduced himself again for the first time uncovered by the veil. “Rise, Joel. We are all siblings in battle and friends for life. Please allow me to look upon your noble face” he said.

Joel rose to his feet and smiled warmly at him. Joel had platinum blond hair wrapped up in a bun. He had a healthy rosy complexion. His cheeks were covered in freckles. His chin was round and his smile was enhanced by his strong white teeth. His nose was slightly crooked from years of combat training and knocks to the face. His eyes were a piercing green. Overall, Joel was a handsome young man. Joel took a seat next to Gregory and soon they were in a light conversation. While he was educated by the elder monks in religious texts and mathematics, he didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of the prince. He tried his best to follow his tales about hunting or falconry, but they just went over his head. After a while Gregory noticed his discomfort and asked about him. Joel was happy to talk about his life in Buzzseal Monastery and his family.

Gregory was looking at him very strangely. Joel didn’t notice it at first but as time went on he became more and more uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat and brought his personal story to a close. Gregory was still looking at him expectantly when Joel couldn’t take it anymore. “My lord, have I displeased you in some way?” he asked nervously. “I was thinking about the battle against the Demon Lord and his forces. Lucy was my close friend since childhood. I wasn’t even aware that she was a Companion. If I had known, I would have traveled with her. I still do not even know what had happened to her to appear in that state. I want you to explain it to me” he said in a tone that made it clear it was an order. Joel did his best to recount the tale as honestly as possible. It took about a half hour to sort out all the details in his head and tell the prince what he had remembered. Gregory looked more unsettled as time went on. “You allowed a demon to take her soul and the three of you just watched him eat it” he said slowly, face twitching in rage. “My lord, we were in demon territory and we were trying to get information from him. If we had known who she was sooner, we would have stopped him”. Joel said as he leaned back into the chair. He wanted the Hero to believe his words, but he could not really figure out why it mattered that the prince approve of him.

Brittany came to the parlor before Gregory could respond. He smiled warmly at her as if his anger had never existed. Joel was convinced that staying with someone who could hide his true feelings so well would be extremely dangerous. Luckily, other Companions had also declined to join him at court, which would make it easier to slip away back to the monastery. “I see our monk has renounced his veil” she said with a smile. Joel returned her smile and noticed that she still had her sword at her hip. Following his gaze his gaze, she chuckled and said “My path is clearest with my sword at my side. I would not abandon it for the world”. Joel nodded his head, very impressed to her dedication. She sat down on the opposite side of Gregory. The talk soon drifted to the excitement to the festival. “In Snarl, festivals are joyful and open for all. However, the two of you should be prepared to be propositioned by the villagers. They won’t mean any offence, but some can be very forward or aggressive”. Both humans had deep blushes from hearing her say that so bluntly. Brittany smiled knowingly and let the matter drop. Gregory then cleared his throat and said “I wonder when Percival will join us”.

The others looked toward the doorway that they had entered in. It didn’t look like it would be anytime soon. They had already been there together for an hour and a half. Joel spoke up in his defense. “I’m sure he is just getting his full rest. The three of us are usually up early for training. Who knows how much his energy his magic takes from him. I saw him on the road to the demon country and he looked not well”. Brittany tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword. “I can definitely agree with that. Those are the results of delving into the dark arts. If he was not a fellow Companion, I would seriously consider apprehending him”. It was clear that she was not keen on mincing her words. A servant came into the parlor to bring them to the dining room. The three of them rose from their seats and followed the servant. As they entered the room, they saw Percival talking with the mayor at the table. They were laughing about something as they were announced by the servant. They looked up to them and stood for the three Companions as they entered. “Percival, did you not see us in the parlor? We missed your company this morning” Joel said as he quickly made his way to stand next to him.

Percival looked from the mayor to his fellow Party members and said “I’m not an early riser. I only woke up half an hour ago. I was then led here and met the mayor on the way”. The mayor had a wolfish grin and said “I was just hearing a more in depth telling of his time in demon territory. He can certainly spin a yarn”. Percival smiled and thanked the mayor. As they were all assembled, the mayor motioned him to sit. The breakfast served was sausage and bacon with scrambled eggs and some fruit. It was delicious and everyone was happy to be eating the good food. Joel turned to Percival and asked him what he felt about the festival. “I think it will be a great time. I’m looking forward to exploring the city and meeting the locals”. The mayor smiled and told them that the locals would be ecstatic to meet them as well. He got up and beckoned the Party to follow him. They went out of his house and were given a short tour of the landmarks of the city. 

The tour took 3 hours and they returned to the home of the mayor. The residents were busy making last minute preparations for the festival. They were then escorted to the baths. Brittany was taken away by a female servant and the rest were taken by the mayor himself. Being naked with the others was a nice bonding experience for them. After they had finished they were feeling refreshed. They were given more expensive clothes. “It is almost time for the festival to begin. We have to go to the town square and greet the people. You might want to figure out what you will say to the crowds now and on the way”. Everyone nodded and followed the mayor to the start point. The Party members brought their weapons with them. When they made their way to the center of the city, they were greeted on the way with cheers and bows. When they got there it was in the afternoon and the sky was on the verge of changing colors with the declining sun. The mayor addressed the crowd to rile them up and build his own prestige for hosting them. Then he motioned for Gregory to say some words to the eager crowd. He stepped to thunderous applause and chants of “Hero” and “Demon Slayer”. He enjoyed it from the look on his face as he lifted his golden sword and gave a very brief account of the final battle. The crowd listened in awe and even Joel was captivated by his oration skills. 

After that the Companions each gave a quick address and the festival began. There was lots of drinking and dancing. Joel had the opportunity to have experienced drinking on holy festivals. He did not have experience dancing. He was looking on with sad eyes when a group of children walked up to him. They were holding flower crowns and gave one to him. Joel thanked them and put it on his head. “Sir, what’s wrong?” a deerkin boy asked him. Joel looked at the crowd again and said “I want to dance, but I don’t know how”. The children looked at each other in surprise before crowding around him. “We can teach you how” a dogkin girl said as they dragged him closer to the crowd. Joel let them lead him away and show him how to do the dances the others in the village were doing. After an hour of learning and practicing at the edge of the crowd, he was beginning to feel confident. The onlookers also chimed in with slight teasing at the start, but expressed approval by the end of it. 

Feeling emboldened, he went to the center of the crowd. Once there, he saw Brittany dancing with the mayor. He saw going to greet them when he was approached by a foxkin woman. “Care to dance with me?” she said as she held him by the waist from behind. Joel could feel her very sizable breasts against his back and nearly jumped away from her from embarrassment. The words about the citizens being forward were echoing in his mind. Instead of overreacting, he wiggled out of her grasp and faced her. “I would love to dance with you” he said kindly. They danced for sometime before she left to go eat and was replaced by another woman, and then another. Soon he began to grow hungry as well. He excused himself and tried to look for a food stall. When he found one he was able to get a plate full of meat. When he asked how much the food was they smiled at him and said it was free for him.

He sat down and began to eat with the others near the stall. The men over there were boasting and bragging about their strength. Joel was sitting eating his food when a wolfkin male came over to him and said “I can see the Hero fighting the Demon Lord, but I’m not sure about you. I don’t think you’re as tough as they say”. Joel ignored him and continued eating. The wolf was angry at being ignored and knocked Joel’s food on the floor. Joel looked up at him and the wolf smiled menacingly. “Fight me, and we’ll prove who’s the better man”. Joel got up and walked away. “One who barks is often more pitiful than one who only bites” he said, quoting his goddess as he left. This made not only the wolf, but other canines in the area upset. The wolf grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. He tried to punch Joel in the face but Joel just tilted his head to dodge. 

By this time they had attracted a crowd. While most of the crowd was on Joel’s side, the canines were decidedly against him. Joel backed up and brandished his staff and said “I really just want to enjoy the festival. Can you let me go with a warning?” he said to diffuse the situation. The wolf growled at him and said “Oi, first you start shit and then you run away? Fuck no you can’t get a warning. Get me a stick guys”. They threw in a massive stick and He picked it up. Joel sighed. He didn’t want any conflict but it was clear he was going to have to fight him. He walked up to the wolf and jabbed him in the stomach with his staff. The wolf was agile enough to dodge the first strike but Joel was able to catch him in the ribs with a second attempt. The wolf yelped as he limped back to get some distance but Joel was in pursuit. He slapped his wrists so that he would drop the stick and swept his left leg to send him crashing to the ground. The wolf was about to get up when Joel stuck the end of his staff in his face. “Yield” was all Joel said and the wolf nodded. The crowd cheered and Joel helped him to his feet. Joel left the area before anyone else could challenge him.

As he was moving away he could feel someone brushing up against him. He reached out his hands and grabbed someone’s arm. It was a young male fox. “Why are you trying to pickpocket me?” he asked. The fox tried to break out of his grasp but Joel was using his strength to maintain the grip. “Please let me go Sir. If I get caught, they’ll take my hand. I have a younger sister and sick mom at home” the fox said. Joel was moved to compassion and told him to go straight home and not to steal again. The fox smiled at him and rushed off into the crowd. Joel was not in the habit of carrying money on him. His younger brother was the one who took the vow, but he didn’t have a use for it in the monastery. The money he did have was usually given to him to purchase things in town the elder monks had ordered in advance. “If I had the rest of the money on me, I would have given some to him” he thought out loud. Some people had seen this and offered him some wine and ale. He gratefully accepted and had drank three tankards of ale and two of a sweet wine before he cut himself off. He could tell when he was not feeling in top shape and thanked them again before moving on.

It was then when shrill screams could be heard down the road. When he had gotten clear of the crowd he saw that some buildings in the distance were on fire. There were terrified citizens past him yelling about demons. He stopped one of them and asked what had happened. “Please save us! Demons are attack the city! You have to help” he yelled frantically before pushing past him. Joel ran in the direction of the screaming and saw the beastkin were under attack from the demons. Some of the braver men were trying their best to fight back in order for their loved ones to flee, but it was clear it was a losing battle. As he was running down the road, something bright caught his eye in an alley. He made a sharp turn with his staff drawn and went down the alleyway.


	4. Chapter 4

When he got to a clearing comprised of the backs of multiple houses, he saw blood and gore all over the stone and on the ground were the remains of the inhabitants. Standing over them were five demon creatures. They had the torsos of young men, but the lower bodies of snakes. Each of them had scales of a different color, but what was the same were the red stains on their chests and mouths. They heard him as he approached and were waiting for him. “A human? I thought Hollowclaw was a beastkin city” one of the naga pondered. Another said “Does it even really matter? They were arrogant enough to throw a giant festival over the death of the Demon Lord. We should kill everyone and send a message”. Joel gripped his staff tighter and said “This city is being protected by the Party that killed the Demon Lord. You should leave this city alone while you have the chance”. The five of them looked concerned but shrugged it off. “You’re just bluffing, human. Now die!” a coiled up naga said as he sprang forward at Joel. He held up his staff to block the fangs, but the momentum pushed him back a few feet and knocked him on the ground with the naga on top of him.

Joel was trapped under the weight of the naga. The naga had his staff in its jaws and it was keeping him at bay. However the naga smiled and open his mouth wider to snap the wooden staff in two. He smiled down and said “What now, human?” he asked with a smirk when Joel took the longest piece and jammed it in its ribcage. The naga lost his smile as he looked down at the wound. Then he rolled off him as he howled in pain. “Don’t try to move that or you will die” he said as he saw the naga put his hands on the wood. The naga dropped his hands. Joel drew one of his swords and faced down the other nagas. “You bastard! You’re going to pay for that, you filthy human” said the second naga. He approached slowly, slithering on the ground as he looked for an opportunity to strike. He hissed and lunged at Joel. Joel sliced at him but it bounced off his scales. The naga coiled around his legs and lifted him with his tail. Joel could feel the blood rush to his head as he was upside down. He was then thrown against the floor and wall 3 times. Joel coughed up blood and he could tell some of his ribs were broken. The naga quickly yanked the sword from his hand and threw it behind him.

The naga raised him to his mouth and asked “Any last words?” Joel reached up to his waist. He pulled the second sword from its sheath and sliced in a downward arc taking its head clean off its shoulders. Joel fell to the ground again with only his arm to break his fall. The naga that had captured him disintegrated leaving him free to stand up. As soon as he did he held up his sword and caught the lunging naga that he was unprepared for in the chest. Joel was knocked off his feet again from the impact. He knew that he was completely lucky and was starting to look for an exit. There were the doors to the houses he could make it to. There was also the way he came. Joel slowly got up and went to get his sword, making sure to keep eye contact with the remaining two. He made sure to twist his blade before kicking the dying naga off of it. One looked scared while the other looked furious.

The furious one picked the sword that was thrown away from him and said “No human is better than a demon. You had weapons is all that this is”. He slithered forward slowly, waving it back and forth in front of his face. Joel was watching the blade but caught the eye of the naga. “Got you” the naga said as his eyes glowed. Joel was stunned and he was unable to move. “See? I knew it. Time for you to die” it said as it moved closer with the sword. Joel was struggling to break free and he could feel the naga’s hold over him weaken. The naga raised the sword above his head for a final strike when Joel slashed his blade along the naga’s belly. The naga dropped the sword as it fell to the ground. Joel flipped the naga on its back as it clutched his stomach to keep his guts inside his body. 

Joel stood with both hands on the hilt of his sword, ready to plunge it down where his heart would be. As he lifted the sword the remaining naga yelled “Wait! Have mercy on us!”. Joel stopped his arms, but put a foot on his chest to keep the one below him still. Joel looked at him and thought hard about what he would be capable of. He was seriously injured and would need attention. He could probably kill the last one, but it was wiser not to risk it. “I will have mercy but you guys need to make a contract with me” he said. The naga looked confused. “You want to give us your soul? You won though” he said with a head tilt. Joel shook his head and said “The contract I’ll make is if you swear obedience to me, I will bring you under my protection. My soul is not for sale”. The naga looked like he was considering it when Joel said “This is my one and only offer. Take it or die”. he said seriously. Three pentagrams spread from under him. He looked behind him and saw the one he stabbed in the ribs was still alive.

Joel looked at them and said “My name is Joel. Tell me your names”. He was imitating how Red did his contract. The naga that begged for mercy spoke up first. “My name is Ralmen” he said softly. Ralmen was milk white skinned. His hair was navy blue and his golden eyes were striking against his black scales. Next was the one that had attacked him first. “I am called Sargrin” he said with labored breaths. Sargrin was tanned with light brown hair that matched his scales. He also had stunning green eyes. The final one was the one under him. “...Varazin, you bastard” he spat. His olive complexion and orange hair were very exotic and interesting to Joel. The purple eyes that almost killed him were also very pretty. He had bright red scales. “You all want to make a contract with me right?” he asked. They all said yes. “In exchange for my protection, you will swear eternal obedience to me. Is that acceptable to you?” he asked them. They all agreed to it. “The contract is complete” he said as the three pentagrams closed around him. On his right pectoral muscle was a bright red tribal sun marking with two concentric circles with the outer circle filled in. On his left was a brown sun like the first but with the inner circle filled in. On his back, just under his right shoulder blade was a black sun completely filled in.

Joel collapsed from sudden pains in his already damaged ribs and his stomach. It was agonizing and he almost lost consciousness. Ralmen slithered up to him and asked what was wrong. “It’s the contract. I have to fix your wounds or I might die with you” he said in alarm. He didn’t know for sure, but that was the feeling he had. “Ralmen, fetch the demon cores that were left behind. Hurry” he told him. Ralmen handed the cores to him and he fed one to Varazin. “This should help you heal faster” he said. Sure enough the deep wound sealed up as if there was nothing there at all. Varazin got up and rubbed his stomach. The pain left Joel as well, but there was still the deep pain in his ribs. “Sargrin, I need you to relax. Ralmen is going to pull out the staff and you have to swallow the core quickly”. He nodded and put the core in his mouth. Ralmen pulled it out in one swift motion causing agonized screams from both Joel and Sargrin. Sargrin swallowed it in shock and soon began to heal faster than he was bleeding out. He breathed a sigh of relief and he got up as well. Joel needed Sargrin to prop him up on his feet. “Listen to me. The three of you are never allowed to betray me. You can not ever attack me or use any powers on me”. The three of them nodded their heads.

Joel slowly walked out of the alley on his own two feet with his followers in tow. As he got out he saw Percival run past and he called out to him. Percival was hostile to the nagas behind him until Joel explained the situation. Percival looked amused and walked over to them and started putting his hands over Sargrin. “You’ll let me play with them when we get back, right? I could do so much research on them”. Sargin pushed him away and hissed at him. “Not really friendly, are they?” he said jokingly. Joel said “I am their protector, so I can’t let you just do whatever you want with them”. Percival still had a jealous glint in his eye. “You have three pets. You seriously won’t let me have one?” he said. Joel shrugged and said “I don’t see why you don’t just catch your own. I’m sure that there are more demons around deserving to be your ‘pet’”. His eyes sparkled and he said “You’re absolutely right. You should head back to the mayor’s house. Maybe someone there can attend to your wounds”. He left with his staff in his hand and a smile on his face. “You have weird friends, Joel” Sargrin said. “Have respect. He is one of the Companions who killed the Demon Lord. The Party members won’t think twice about killing you” Joel dismissed them. “No, you’re lying” Varazin burst out. Joel smiled and lifted his shirt and showed them his Sigil

The three nagas hissed in surprise and recoiled from him. Joel frowned and let his shirt go. He said “You don’t have to be afraid, we have a contract. I won’t hurt you”. Joel told them to follow him to the mayor’s house. As they approached, Joel saw Brittany approach with her sword drawn. “Joel what is the meaning of this. Why have you brought demons here?” she asked angrily. He explained what happened and she was shocked. She said “You made a contract with demons. Have you learned nothing? Demons can’t be trusted!”. Joel started to see black spots float across his vision. “Please lay hands on me. I got hurt really bad” he said as he stumbled closer. Brittany sighed and placed a hand on his head. It was so nice that Joel moaned out loud. He blushed and tried to apologize when she stopped him. “Do not worry. That reaction is perfectly normal. We should switch places. The mayor is inside with his court. Defend this position and I will go and exterminate the demons” she said bluntly. Joel nodded and she walked away.

Joel stood at the steps to the door and looked out for any demons coming closer. The area was clear and Joel looked at his nagas. “Tell me where your demon cores are” he said. The nagas looked nervous as they moved their hands. Ralmen put his hands over his sternum and looked at Joel. Sargrin pointed to his throat. Varazin was holding his arms and looked like he was in pain. “Fuck off Joel! Why should I tell you?” he choked out. Joel sighed and said “One of the strongest demons I know have told me where their cores were. Have you heard of Red or Green?”. Sargrin looked awed. “You’re telling me you fought Lord Red and Lord Green? How strong are you?” he asked. Joel nodded at the praise and looked back to Varazin. “If you don’t tell me, it’s just going to hurt more”. Varazin hissed and said “Shut up. I’ll never accept you as my master”. Joel said “If you won’t tell me, I’ll have to find it myself. Do either of you know where it is?” turning to the other two. Joel walked to the base of his tail. 

His tail was 15 and a half feet long, but he had lots of time. The others didn’t know where it was, so Joel had to run his hands over the red scales of his tail. Joel wasn’t even sure what he was looking for. He rubbed and squeezed sections of his tail as he worked his way up. After a few minutes he had reached his waist where the scales faded into flesh. He began to frisk him up to his chest. It was then that Varazin spoke up and said “My mouth”. Joel looked at him confused and the naga choked out. “My core is in the roof of my mouth” he said. Joel told him to open his mouth. Varazin opened up his mouth and Joel said “Do not bite me or close your mouth”. Joel took two fingers and ran it over the roof of Varazin’s mouth. He looked upset at first but soon his cheeks turned gray and he started to moan despite trying to hold it back. Spit was gathering in his mouth, but Joel ignored it as he was feeling for the core. Varazin grabbed Joel’s arm and pulled it out. He was panting and covered his mouth with his hands. Joel told him that he could close his mouth. 

The other two nagas looked at him and waited to see what Joel would do to them next. Joel just sat on the stairs and watched for any demons. After a while, he did see a demon peek around a building. Joel stood up and called out “I see you!”. The demon jumped up and walked out. It was a woman with flowers growing out of her head. “Hey! Move along or die!” he yelled at her as he gestured with his arms. The woman walked closer and approached the house. Joel told the nagas to stay put. He drew one of his swords and went down the stairs to meet her. As he got close, he saw that she looked uncomfortable. “Fire is spreading all around the city. I won’t last over there” she said. Joel sighed and said “If you stay here, I’ll have to kill you. You will not last long here either”. The woman snarled and said “Then I’ll fight you. You can’t-” was all she got to say before Joel quickly beheaded her. He normally wouldn’t be so ruthless, but he had already taken prisoners. He was also concerned on how he would be able to protect them. He looked around for any other demons walking around. 

It was clear of people for the moment. He made his way to the stairs when they called out to him to turn around. He turned around with his sword and slashed. A harpy dodged out the way and then lunged forward with her claws. Joel sidestepped her and slashed at her side. She yelped and turned to face him. “You think you can kill us, arrogant human!” she tried to slash at him but he blocked her with her claws with his sword. It was easier to take on these humanoid demons rather than the monstrous ones. He decided to finish her off and thrusted the blade through her stomach. He pulled the blade out of her and stabbed her again as she fell on the floor. She turned into dust and Joel jogged back to the stairs. The nagas looked at him as he returned and two of them cheered. He sat down on the steps again and resumed his watch. After half an hour had passed, they saw Percival with a demon in tow.

As they came closer Percival could see the demon more closely. “I followed your advice, Joel. I found him hassling some young woman in a group of incubi near the town square. I wanted to catch all six, so I played along like I was interested in a tumble. They all took the bait and I was undressed in no time. When they saw my Sigil they got spooked. Three of the incubi ran off. I wanted to see how far it was going to go. The rest continued to rub up on me. I decided to tell them what I wanted. Another one of them just got dressed and left. The remaining two wanted to tumble with me first and I agreed. After a nice time one of the incubi tried to attack me. He was really weak even though he was full. They seemed to be only minor demons. I jumped on him and killed him. This one tried to escape but I caught him. I told him that I would kill him if he didn’t make the contract. I did it just as you said to and it worked. Now he can’t disobey me. I just have to keep him safe from harm. His name is Vysel” he said.

Vysel had a rosy complexion with hunter green hair. His pink eyes were tightened in annoyance at being tricked. The incubus had small black ram horns. He looked toned with some muscles, but overall he was curvy in all the right places to be attractive. He had a nice plump bottom and a thin waist. He was wearing clothes that revealed much of his skin. Vysel had trousers that only reached his mid thigh. His shirt was sleeveless and was ripped and showed off his midriff and his abs. On his arms were tribal markings streaking down to his wrists. He was barefoot and there was not a blemish on his skin that he could see. In fact, it was if he was glowing. Thinking about his friend’s story he blushed as he realized why. Vysel smiled and said “Aww, do you fancy me as well, Joel? He told me that Lord Red ate a Companion’s soul. But I might just be the only one to mate with one. I could tumble with you as well if you want”. Joel’s blush deepened and he refused out of hand as quickly as possible. The incubus laughed and leaned on Percival’s arm. 

Joel looked around before getting really concerned. “Percival, we have to be careful. Brittany is very much against necromancy. Gregory was very upset because Lucy was a childhood friend. I do not think it would be wise to tell the others your story” he said. Percival looked upset “We did fail her, but there was nothing we could do. Thank you for telling me this. I know now who I can trust in our Hero’s court”. Joel nodded and they waited on the stairs together with their prisoners among them. After a hour of waiting, Gregory came back, black blood dripping from his golden sword. It was a enchanting sight and Joel was moved to excitement. He glanced over and he could see a similar look on Percival’s face. He approached with a troubled look on his face. “Do not talk to the Hero. I will do the talking” Joel said. Percival said it to Vysel as well. Gregory was on the bottom step as the two Companions got up and kneeled for him. “I see that there are some demons here at the mayor’s house. Can you please explain why that is?” he said in a leading tone. Joel was still kneeling when he said “My lord, we have been vanquishing demons since the beginning of the attacks. We have taken prisoners and were regrouping while we guarded the mayor. Brittany was here before but she wanted to go and do some exterminating for herself”.

Joel didn’t look up at him and hoped that he would be lenient. Percival said that it was true and he was hopeful it would go well. “I feel that this is a bad decision. Maybe you should release or kill them” he said darkly. Joel looked up and saw Gregory glare menacingly at the demons. The demons were making themselves smaller and leaning away, very intimidated. Joel said “My lord, that will not be possible. We gave our words and swore to them we would protect them from harm. The demons wanted something more. We formed contracts that for their protection, they would be obedient to us. We did not offer our souls for the contracts”. Gregory looked at them shocked. “If it was anyone but two Companions, I would cleave your heads from your shoulders where you stood” he said disgusted. Joel stood up and bowed with a smile. “My lord is truly kind and understanding. Thank you” he said. Percival also bowed and smiled.

Gregory scoffed at them before saying “If it is true that you have tamed these demons, I assume that they will no longer be hostile. Most of the demons have been purged from the city. I do not know how you will convince others to house or support them”. Percival spoke up to say “We will handle those situations as they arise. Our Hero is tolerant and just”. Gregory walked inside the house and Joel sighed in relief. Percival laughed at him and asked “You done fawning over your prince?”. Joel looked at him and asked if he felt the same well. “You didn’t know? Humans lose their history too often. The legend says that those who are fully awakened as Companions by the Hero will love their Hero. Why do you think he kissed us?”. Joel looked surprised as everything fell into place. “So you feel the same way as well then?” he asked. “Of course I do, but I at least can handle myself. I can see why you would. If you didn’t know about it, you would think it was happening naturally” he said with a smile.

Joel didn’t rise to his bait because it was good information that he had received. Now that he knew what was really going on, he could control his feelings with prayer and meditation. He looked at his nagas and told them to follow them inside. He brought them upstairs to his room and got changed into his night clothes. “Stay in this room and do not leave here until I tell you to” he said. He got into the bed and saw the nagas coil up in corners of the room. He fell asleep and was having a good dream when a scream jolted him awake. One of the mayor’s servants had fainted after seeing the nagas in the room as he came in for a chore. The nagas barely shifted before going back to sleep. They really did take up most of the space of the room. Joel got up and peered out the window. It was near the time he would wake up in the morning in the first place, so he decided to get dressed. He allowed the other servants to take the one who had fainted away. He closed his door behind them and told them to not open the door again. After some silent prayers he put on his leather armor and his swords.

He made his way down to the parlor and waited for the others to join him. Gregory and Brittany came down at the same time. Brittany looked tired but smiled at Joel’s greeting nonetheless. It was not the same with Gregory. He nodded, keeping his face neutral. Joel felt bad at his cold reaction, but he remembered that his feelings were being influenced by their bond. They sat down and began talking like they did the day before. It seemed that due to the festivities, the garrison was lax and left the city open to attack. The fire was from the citizens fleeing in terror leaving open flames unattended near the wooden houses. Gregory made the decision that they would be leaving the city that morning. “Hollowclaw has to grieve and heal after all that has happened here. Having outsiders would only get in the way. That being said, we also have a responsibility to return to Parcel. I must return the sword to its rightful shrine and Joel and I have families that miss us dearly”. Joel could only agree. He was really eager to return to his family and comfort them while being comforted in return.


	5. Chapter 5

After a while, Gregory looked around and said “I wonder if Percival will join us this morning. I understand that he has a strange bedfellow for the night, but I hope that he won’t be too distracted to leave with us today”. Joel was also concerned for Percival. He excused himself and said he would see if he was awake yet. He went upstairs and had a servant direct him to the room Percival was in. He knocked on the door and placed an ear on the door. He couldn’t hear anything so he was going to leave when he heard the door unlock from the inside. Joel wasn’t even aware that the door could be locked from the inside. When the door was opened, he saw Vysel in the nude staring him down annoyed. “What do you want?” he said with a loud yawn. Joel peeked his head in the doorway and said “I only wanted to see if Percival was awake yet. I’m sorry if I disturbed you”. The incubus pushed him back and said “Percival is mine. I am the one who gets his seed so don’t think you can just barge in on us. Unless you want to join in that is”. Joel got angry and said “I wouldn’t even if you were only one on Tramis!” before turning around to leave.

Vysel scoffed and yanked him into the room. He shut the door and pinned Joel against it with an arm on either side of his head. He brought his face closer to Joel’s. “Damn, I can’t get enough of how good your soul smells. It’s even better than Percival’s” he said as he took another whiff. He then pulled back in surprise. “Joel, you’re a virgin still? I want you so bad right now” he said almost drooling. Joel pushed him back and said “I took a vow of chastity, so I won’t be joining you for any tumbles”. Vysel stepped closer with a smile on his face and looked him in the eyes and said “I won’t let you go that easily”. Joel could feel his whole body get hot and weak in the knees. The incubus caressed his face and said “Don’t fight it. Trust me with your body”. Joel tried to push him away, but his strength failed him. “S-stop it. Get off me” he said as he tried to get himself to move away. It was like his body wasn’t his own. “Okay. It’s time for me to step in” Percival said as he pressed himself against Vysel from behind. 

Joel hadn’t even seen or heard him get out of bed. “Looks like someone is eager for another tumble” Vysel said cheerfully. “I’m sorry, but it would be really bad if you were to steal the virtue of my friend” Percival said as he grabbed his thigh and wrapped an arm around his chest to tweak his nipple. Vysel growled at the challenge. “You’re not going to stop me. You want this just as much as me” he said as he ground his unoccupied thigh between Joel’s legs. Joel moaned out loud as he leaned closer. “See, he wants it. You can’t let this get away” he said taken by his own lust. “If I remember correctly, he said to stop” was the reply. Vysel moaned and said “Let me go. You’re the one making me hungry”. Percival chuckled lightly as he continued to rub and squeeze his thigh and nipple. “That was because you got greedy. You thought you could bully one of the Companions because as a virgin he would be weaker to your powers. Now you can let him go or I’ll punish you”. Vysel was still for a moment before turning his head to him and saying “You have to protect me from harm, you can’t punish me”. Percival chuckled and smiled at him. “There are ways to punish you without hurting you. Very cruel ways. You can go ahead if you want to try it out”. Vysel shivered as he could sense the malicious intent. Vysel dropped his leg and his glamor over Joel. He fell to the floor in a heap gasping out for air. Vysel could not help but smile at his handiwork.

It was a minute before Joel could stand again. He glared at Vysel before looking at Percival. He wanted to see the incubus punished, but he didn’t push anything. “We are leaving today” he said curtly before looking back at Vysel. Percival said that he was glad that he had come to wake him up and said that he would be down soon. The incubus, still in his grip sighed and leaned back on him. “You made the wise choice of letting him go. I’ll give you a reward when he leaves the room” Percival said in his ear loud enough so Joel could hear it. Joel was still aroused and he wasn’t sure what to do about it. Vysel growled at him. “You heard Percival. Get out! Play with yourself for all I care!” he berated him as he physically pushed him out the room and slammed the door in his face. Joel went to his own room. He prayed to his goddess for strength and wisdom. He didn’t stoop to something as shameful as entertaining the idea of that arrogant demon.

As he was praying the nagas began to stir awake. Between his prayers and the fascination at them as they slept, his heart and body was able to calm down and he had peace of mind. He looked on as they blinked their eyes as they stuck out their tongues. Then the three of them got up and stretched out their bodies. They greeted each other before looking over at him to see what he was doing. Joel greeted them and told them they were leaving the city. He went back downstairs to get to them some of the spare shirts. He them made them put them on before he left. When he returned to the parlor and saw Gregory and Brittany were waiting for them. “They are awake and they said they would come down shortly after they got ready”. Brittany looked concerned for him. “I was unsure if something unexpected had happened. I sensed demonic presence spike upstairs before fading” she said. Joel blushed and looked away. He couldn’t meet their eyes, but said “I was talking to Vysel. We didn’t seem to get along and we got into an argument. Percival was able to diffuse the situation”. They seemed unconvinced that what was said was the full story, but they did not press further on.

After some time had passed talking, Percival and Vysel did come down to the parlor. Vysel was wearing a set of common clothes not unlike what some of the servants were wearing. He looked quite pleased with himself and smirked as he made eye contact with Joel. Joel suck his teeth and made it a point to not pay him any mind. “I’m sorry about what happened earlier. If you really want to, you can decide how to punish him” Percival said. “What!? No! You said that I had to let him go and I did. I did nothing wrong here” Vysel grabbed his collar and yelled. Percival looked at Joel, completely ignoring him. “Hey, don’t ignore me. I’ll tell everyone what my rewar-” was all he could say before Percival commanded him to be silent. Vysel clawed at his mouth and throat before glaring silently and stroking Percival’s hair. “What do you think Joel?” he asked and all attention in the room fell on him. Joel was a bit startled and thought on what he wanted for a moment. After gathering his thoughts he sighed and said “I don’t want to be involved in your affairs with Vysel. I just don’t like him and I will not engage with him. I don’t need to see him punished”.

Gregory raised an eyebrow at his statement. “I would have thought you would given him at least an inconvenience. Mind sharing your rationale?” he said curious at his decision. Joel nodded and looked at the equally surprised Vysel. “He really offended me and in the moment I wanted him punished. However, I would be a hypocrite if I punished Vysel and refused to punish my prisoners if someone else asked. I will be the judge of my nagas and Percival can judge him as he sees fit”. Percival nodded and said “That is truly well said. As expected of our wise and chaste monk”. “Don’t tease me!” Joel blushed as the others laughed at his expense. Vysel was allowed to speak and he said “Don’t do that again, or I won’t be gentle next time I to eat”. “You will be as gentle as I tell you too” was the quick, dismissive reply. Joel smiled at hearing that, still taking pleasure at Vysel’s misfortune.  
When the mayor came, the group had been chatting for a long while. The grinning mayor had some wounds on him wrapped in bandages. He was taking great pride detailing his glorious fight against the demons. “I was granted this city for my service in the navy. I’m no stranger to sieges and battles” he said with pride. From his words he actually killed two of them. The Party members were impressed and were invested in his story. Vysel seemed uninterested in the story. Gregory was the one to broach the topic of them leaving. The mayor nodded and said “I think that is for the best. We have something for you before you go”. He snapped his fingers and four servants came in with two lock boxes. “If you look at the gems we found from the demons’ bodies collected by the guards, we can see the good work we did”. The Party looked over the boxes and saw sixteen minor demon cores, seven demon core and four archdemon cores. It was a pretty impressive haul.

Vysel was looking at the cores with interest and the servants shut the boxes in his face when he got too close. After a quick breakfast, it was time for them to leave. Joel went upstairs to retrieve the nagas. When he opened the door he saw them taking turns looking out the window. “Good morning. It is time to go” he said to them. They turned around and after a minute of untangling their tails, they were ready to leave the room. Outside the mayor’s house their horses were saddled and fed. Vysel rode with Percival on his horse. As they were approaching the docks, Percival asked what would they do with all the cores. “Maybe we should just give them to the demons so we won’t need to carry them with us” Joel said as he shrugged. Gregory raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. Brittany had some concerns and said “I know that they are tamed, but do you think it wise to bring powerful demons through the town”. 

Percival waived his hand and said “I’m sure we can get them all through the town. We are the heroic Party the killed the evil Demon Lord. We also have a Parcel prince with a ship waiting for us. I seriously doubt they would detain us long. In fact, they might just rush us through”. The three nagas caught up and were not breathing too heavily. They must have been used to traveling long distances. Ralmen looked at them just waiting around and asked “Why are we stopping here for? Don’t we need to get on a ship?”. Varazin said “I bet Joel is the one holding us up. He is not a really strong Companion”. Joel just ignored him and and greeted the other nagas and saw that they were okay. Percival looked at Gregory and the Hero just said “Do what you want, but you will be responsible for them”. Percival smiled and said “We thought that it would be better to get rid of the cores. Joel said we should just give them to you guys. Do you want to eat them? You might just advance”. The nagas saw the locked boxes for the first time and it looked like they were very interested. 

Percival opened one of the boxes with the cores and said “Do you want to feed your prisoners, or should I? You said you were the one in charge of your nagas”. Joel nodded and took three of the archdemon cores. He put two in his pocket and approached Sargrin. He handed the core to him and asked what level he was. It seemed that the three of them were minor demons like Vysel. Joel brought him closer in a hug. Sargrin looked confused and said “I didn’t know you wanted to mate with me before I ate it. I don’t think I want it right now”. “No! I mean, that’s not what I wanted. This is a archdemon core. When you eat it, it will cause pain for your core. Your core can’t handle all the energy. I want to support you through that. Just focus on advancing” he said blushing. Sargrin smiled at him and said “Well if you want to mate later on, you can come to me”. He then swallowed the core. A few moments later, he hissed out loud and grabbed on to Joel. His tail was thrashing and coiling around the ground wildly. He tightened his arms around the naga and told him to try to advance. Sargrin softly chanted the demonic language that he heard from Red and Green. The pentagram opened below them as his tail continued to twitch on the ground. 

Sargrin’s brown scales paled and turned gray. He groaned as he flopped into Joel’s arms and began to pant as the pentagram receded. Joel lowered the naga on the ground and rubbed small circles on his back. Sargrin seemed to appreciate it from the smile on his face. The other came over to look over him in concern. Varazin grabbed him by the collar and yelled “What did you do to him Joel? He looks terrible! You must have done something to him”. Sargrin spoke up and said “My tail feels really tight”. Percival looked at them as he walked over. “Where I come from, people of shady backgrounds would keep snakes as pets. The snakes would grow and shed their skin. I wonder if this is something similar” he explained as he put a finger on his waist where the skin transitioned to the scales. He used a nail to scratch at the gray scales and a rip appeared. He pinched at the scales on one side of the tear and revealed shiny brown scales underneath. Sargrin looked over his shoulder and propped himself on his arms. “Wow. I’m a full fledged demon now. Can you help me with the old scales, Joel?” he said.

Joel, Percival and the other nagas helped pulling off the dead scales. Soon Sargrin was up and showing off his new scales on his tail. Joel noticed that not only his scales were shiny and new but his tail overall was slightly longer and there were thicker and leaner muscle than before. It was no doubt that he was stronger than before although he didn’t show it. Joel took another core out of his pocket and and gave it to Ralmen. His cheeks flushed gray and he said “Are you sure you want to give one to me? I didn’t fight you, you know. Shouldn’t you give it to Varazin first? It would be right”. Joel shook his head and pushed it into his hands and hugged him the same way he did for Sargrin. Ralmen swallowed it and wrapped his arms around Joel. When the pain hit him he hissed and squeezed tightly. “It really hurts” he said and laughter came from behind them. Ralmen chanted and the same process repeated for him. After he was lowered to the ground Joel rubbed his back while the others took all the scales off. Ralmen looked stronger as well. 

Joel gave the third core to Varazin. As he brought his arms up, Varazin pushed him away. He said “I don’t need you to baby me. Fuck off!”. Joel nodded and stood by with the others. He swallowed the core and made a show of doing it slowly. Joel just looked blankly at him and saw the moment the power hit him. He collapsed and thrashed wildly, gripping at his mouth. Sargrin looked concerned and was going to help when Joel said “Leave him alone. He said he can do it without being babied”. Sargrin frowned but he wasn’t able to do anything further. Ralmen called out “Advance already! Ignore the pain. Hurry!”. It seemed to work as he clawed at the dirt and started to chant. It took longer than the others as the pain in his mouth made it harder for him with nothing to brace himself with. As it was, it looked more painful than when Green did it. Red had the most painful experience, but that was because he ate a Companion’s soul. When he was finished he rolled over on his back and covered his face with an arm. Percival looked at his charge and said “You have a choice. You can have me to brace you or you can do it alone”. The incubus scoffed and said “Do I look like a dumbass to you?” loud enough to be heard by everyone.

Vysel held on tight and said more softly “Not only are you going to hold me, you are not allowed to let me go”. Percival gave him pat him on the head and put it in his mouth. Vysel looked fine until he went limp in his arms and Percival whispered “Cut the dramatics! We all know it hurts, so just start with the chanting already”. Vysel raised himself up and winced “Okay already. I’ll do it”. The pentagram formed around them and Joel could see the changes Vysel was going through. His horns grew about five inches and began to curve backwards. Blood started to drip down his face from the horns. He flopped forward from the strain into Percival’s arms. Vysel was smiling and asked how he looked. He certainly looked more attractive than before. His skin was glowing and his face was nearly angelic. He was more toned than before and the areas that were plump like his butt were higher and tighter. Percival swiped his forehead to clear some of the blood, but it wound up smearing it. Vysel practically purred in his arms “I could use another tumble about now”. Percival chuckled and said “Depends on how well you do later on. I can’t reward you for a reward, now can I?”. 

By this time Varazin was up and trying his best to peel the dead scales away from his tail. It took time but he was able to get most of it off. He then slithered over to Joel and grabbed his collar again. “That fucking hurt. Sharpen my fangs. Now!” he demanded. Joel was confused by what he said and asked what he meant. “Sharpening fangs is when you test each other’s strength in combat” Sargrin explained. “You mean a sparring session? Are you certain you want to fight against Joel? He already beat you before” Brittany came over, intrigued by the explanation. “I never lost to him. Ralmen gave it all away before I could finish him. I would’ve won” he spat at her. She smiled condescendingly at him and said “Yes, I’m sure that’s true. Ralmen knew you three were winning so compellingly that he surrendered and the both of you followed your leader”. Sargrin spoke up and said “The leader of our nest was beheaded and we never had a chance to talk about who the new leader will be”. 

Varazin had enough and yelled “Shut up! I’m the new leader now. I’m the strongest and I said I want to sharpen my fangs with you so do it!”. Sargrin hissed challengingly and said “You think that’s true, huh? I don’t think so”. Varazin glanced back and forth between Joel and Sargrin, obviously conflicted between dominance or revenge. In the end he let go of Joel and turned to his challenger. “I’m going to beat both of you so bad, you won’t recognize yourselves for days for getting in my way”. Joel looked at Ralmen who was quiet until then. “Do you not want to be leader?” Joel asked him. Ralmen looked shocked that he would be asked that. He furiously shook his head and said “No, I was always the youngest and my nest mates were all stronger than me. When you were about to strike down Varazin, I thought I would be abandoned and I wouldn’t be able to survive on my own”. Joel nodded in understanding and looked at the other two nagas. “You two can fight for dominance if you want. The winner can be the new leader. No fatal wounds allowed and you must submit when you are outmatched. I will sharpen Ralmen’s fangs” Joel said.

Gregory had enough and said “It has been an exciting development, but we must be on our way now. We have a boat to catch after all”. That put a dampen on the moods of the two nagas. Even Brittany was a bit disappointed. “I would have liked to spar with the winner” she said quietly on the way to her horse. They approached the gates to the road that lead to the docks and the guards made them wait for half an hour before the gate was raised. When they were they all could see two dozen guards in full armor and spears with a captain leading them. “Who goes there!?” the bearkin captain yelled at them. Gregory told him calmly who they were and explained that they were to board a ship docked at the port. “What proof do you have ‘Prince Gregory’? I don’t just believe every story I hear” he said mockingly. Gregory sighed and showed him his signet ring and some official documents with a seal on it. The captain was undeterred and claimed that it might be all stolen goods. “Anyways, we would be fools to let demons in our docks. Give one good reason we shouldn’t mount your heads on pikes this instant”. It was obvious he was toying with them.

Brittany unsheathed her blade and said “We are the Party that killed the evil Demon Lord. If you guys really think a city garrison can stop us go ahead. I know you want a bribe and we will not give you anything. You can stand down or get cut down!”. It worked at intimidating the guards behind the captain. They were all shaking in fear. The captain was only doing slightly better than his men. “We have better things to do than go back and forth with you. I’ll let it slide just this time. Next time you pull this breach of authority, I won’t be so charitable. Let’s go men” he said before quickly turning around and walking away quickly. Joel felt even more respect for her as she stood her ground when he would have tried to placate them with a bribe. She turned and smiled for the rest of the group. “I doubt we will be impeded from here on out. Shall we embark on the ship?” she said as she sheathed he sword. 

They quickly made their way down the road to the docks and the prince was keen to point out his sailing ship. As they approached, a human on the deck of the ship called out “Our prince has returned! Get the captain and the rest of the crew!”. Soon, there were six people on the deck of the cog and they knelt for Gregory. The captain looked up at him and asked if the mission was completed. “The Demon Lord is dead. Chart course for the capitol” he said proudly to the crew and they cheered. When they saw the demons, they were frightened. “These demons are now our prisoners. Don’t bother them and they won’t harm you” he said seriously. Joel and Percival forbid them from attacking the members of the crew. They got on board and after a half hour of final preparations, they raised anchor and were sailing for Parcel.


	6. Chapter 6

They had been sailing on the sea for 3 days. Joel saw that the demons were handling the new closed environment in varying degrees. Vysel was doing by far the best. He was surrounded by several new people to feed on and he did with glee. By the end of the second day, he had fed off of all the crew members and the captain. No one was complaining, but Joel wanted to talk to someone about it. He was going to speak to Percival when he was pulled into a cabin. Joel was annoyed that it was Vysel. He looked at him and said “I don’t have anything to say to you”. He turned around and called for Percival and wanted to walk out the room. Then he was hit by the same feeling of heat from the mayor’s house. This time it was 10 times worse. He stumbled forward before Vysel caught him and pressed himself against his back. “I told you I was not going to let you go. Your soul smells too good. Let me have this one thing” he whispered in his ear. Joel was on fire and the parts where Vysel was touching him felt so good. He shook his head and protested but they both knew that he couldn’t fight back. “One day I’m going to just forbid you from doing this. Let go or I’ll punish you” Percival said when he entered the room. Vysel shook his head and growled deep in his chest. “We both know that I can have him and you don’t want to stop me. Don’t get in my way” he said. Percival walked behind him and placed his hands on the incubus’s hips. “So you won’t let him go then?” he asked with barely hidden malice. Vysel looked down at the helpless Joel and pulled him tighter.

Percival pressed himself against Vysel and ground his hips against the incubus. He smiled and said “See? You want to tumble just as much as me”. He didn’t get a verbal response but instead he felt a nip on his neck and sucking on his pulse point. It was pleasant and it made him feel nicer. For his part he was groping Joel all over his body. Joel was moaning out loud and Vysel saw that he was ready to go to the next step. “Joel, you want to tumble with us, right?” he asked the trembling Companion in a way that left no room for refusal. Joel shook his head and stuttered a no. Percival chuckled softly as he rubbed at his nipples. The added stimulation made the incubus very impatient. He looked at him and said “Joel, look at me. It feels scary, but you have to trust me. It’s going to feel really good. I promise”. Joel tears streaming down his face but he stopped trying to wiggle away from him. Vysel focused on intensifying the glamor he had over Joel. Joel groaned and looked totally defeated. He turned Joel around and looked him in the eye. “Joel, you want to tumble with us, right?” the incubus repeated more forcefully. Joel looked at him and nodded. 

Vysel let Joel drop to the floor. He then stepped over him and shed his clothes. “Yes. just stay right there. I’m so close” he giggled to himself. He then crouched down and removed Joel’s pants. Joel’s erection was pulsing and spilling fluid as it sprung up to the the ceiling. Vysel turned to face Percival as he prepared to take Joel into himself. “Let me suck on you too okay. I really want to enjoy this”. Percival said nothing and just smiled at him. The incubus sighed and pulled down his pants as well. Just as he was about to lower himself on Joel Percival said “Stay absolutely still and don’t move”. Vysel froze as he was commanded and was confused. “What do you want now? I’m really hungry” he whined. Percival slid Joel away from him and Vysel growled. “What are you doing!? He’s mine!”. Percival laughed slowly and said “This is your punishment. I told you I was going to be cruel without harming you. Vysel you can’t feed for the rest of the day”. The incubus was furious and said “Don’t fuck with me! I’ll drain you dry! I won’t be gentle next time we tumble”. Percival ignored him and helped Joel put his pants on. By that time, Vysel was crying in anguish.

Joel wasn’t sure how he was supposed to have felt. He was used as a pawn by someone who he really thought he could count on. This is the second time that Vysel has tried to rape him and it made him angry. Physically he felt tired and sticky. All he wanted to do was to lie down and go to sleep. After some rest and prayer, he thought he could deal with the situation. When he got to his cabin, Ralmen was waiting for him. The space was small so the nagas had to coil their tails around them. “I’m sorry I need to pray and rest. Wait until I am ready. I’ll address you when I’m ready”. Joel kneeled at his cot and prayed silently. He found out when he was with Sargrin that if he said prayers out loud it could hurt the demons and make them feel very uncomfortable. If he said his prayers in his head, it was fine for them. After 10 minutes of intense prayers for strength and patience, he got on the cot and stretched out before finding a comfortable position to lay in. When he did he asked why Ralmen was there. “I wanted to talk to you Joel” was the reply. Ralmen’s cheeks were gray and he wasn’t looking directly at him. Over the three days on the ship, he had chances to talk to Sargrin and Ralmen. Sargrin was proud and rowdy, but on the whole obedient. Ralmen was quieter and sensitive, but still interesting to talk to. Varazin did his best to avoid Joel and Sargin. He could be found harshly whispering into Ralmen’s ear as the younger naga nodded.

Ralmen gulped before he said “I don’t understand what you want from us Joel”. Joel looked up at him and asked why he thought he wanted anything. Ralmen looked surprised and said “You won. You beat us in combat and still let us live. But you don’t oppress us. You don’t make us serve you or even use us for your desires as trophies. That’s what happens in the demon lands when you lose to a stronger demon”. Joel said “I’m human and not a demon and you had already surrendered. There was nothing left to do”. Ralmen nodded. “I wanted to tell you that in the last few days, I’ve...” was what he said before he trailed off. It looked like he was too embarrassed to say it. “You can tell me, Ralmen. I won’t mind”. The naga sighed and said “I’ve grown really fond of you, Joel. I know that I’m young and not as strong or as resilient or pretty as the others, but I feel like I want to protect you and even... mate with you”. His blush intensified as he came to the end of his declaration. “You think you’re in love with me, Ralmen?” Joel asked surprised as he sat up on his cot. Ralmen leaned back like he was both disgusted and offended. “No! I would never. Demons don’t love” he hissed.

Joel said “I’m sorry if I misunderstood what you meant. I didn’t mean to make you angry”. He just wanted to understand. Ralmen calmed down and said “Demon’s don’t feel things like love. I like things and dislike things, but I am fond of you”. Joel could relate in a way. At the monastery he had friends he was fond of, but did not love. Joel smiled at him and said “I’m happy you feel that way about me”. Ralmen was going to say something else when Varazin slithered by the open door to the cabin. “I thought I smelled arousal from around here. If you wanted to mate you could have came to me. I would love to put you in your place”. Ralmen shrugged and said “I was wondering what happened but I wanted to tell you what I had to say. I could also help if you wanted to mate”. Varazin laughed and said “You? Ralmen, you couldn’t satisfy anyone with your attitude”. Ralmen hissed at him and Varazin laughed at him. “Listen Joel, as soon we get on dry land again, you’re going to sharpen my fangs” he said leaning against the door frame. Joel looked at him and asked “Don’t you have to fight Sargrin to become the new official leader of your nest?”. Varazin sighed and said “Don’t remind me about that idiot. Sargrin won’t save you from me”. 

Hearing his name, Sargrin slithered over to see what was going on. “What’s going on over here?” he asked. “They were arguing about which one of them would be better for me to mate with” Joel said. The two nagas blushed and were too flustered to speak. “Obviously the answer is me. We are compatible and I’m the best of both worlds. I won’t try to bite your neck off and I’ll actually satisfy you”. “Why do you both think that I can’t satisfy him!? I might be the youngest, but I’d make you feel good Joel” Ralmen cried out. Joel laughed out loud and the nagas joined in. “I was in a bad mood earlier. Thank you”. They looked at him and waited for him to continue talking. Instead he laid back down on the cot. He could hear slithering as he closed his eyes. “Are you just trying to ignore how aroused you were? I can still taste it in the air. The others just don’t want to tell you the truth” Varazin said hovering over him. “I still am not totally over what happened earlier. If you keep poking fun at me, I’ll get angry” he said with his eyes closed. The response he got was a scoff and a hand on his crotch. “Joel, you’re still all wet. You must have just been begging to mate with someone” he jokingly said. Joel’s eyes snapped open and he said “I’m going to be very mean to you now”.

Varazin backed away from him but Joel ordered him to stay where he was. He couldn’t move and he looked almost scared. “Open your mouth and keep it open. Don’t bite me” he demanded before he shoved his fingers in the naga’s mouth and grabbing his hair with his other hand. He rubbed his fingers roughly against the roof of his mouth. He wasn’t able to find his demon core last time. That was because it was smaller and he was being difficult. Now he could barely find it directly above the center of his tongue. He ran his fingers over it and Varazin moaned out loud before he could stifle it. He was blushing and spit was building up in his mouth again. “Just fuck off already!” he said as he pulled his arm out of his mouth. Joel yanked his hair. “I told you to just leave me alone. Don’t touch me or pull my arm away” he said. He put his fingers back in and directly made it a point to press down on his core. He got another moan out of him as he continued to rub back and forth. He kept focusing on that spot to really tease him. Now he was panting and it made him feel better.

Seeing the defiance in Varazin eyes was egging Joel on. He pressed against the core again and this time he shuddered. Joel looked down at him and saw the naga's two erections exposed. He took his fingers out and wiped them on Varazin’s shirt. “You can close your mouth now” he said. The naga glared at him. “What are you going to do it about this?” he said clearly angry. Joel looked sorry, but he said “I told you that I was angry. Please try not to be so defiant”. Varazin lunged at him and hissed in his face. He pushed him as far as he could but there was a lot of weight to deal with. “Not going to make me back off? I knew you wanted to mate with me” he smirked. In response Joel just punched him in the stomach. They both felt the impact and they both hunched over. “I don’t want to mate with anyone. I am a virgin and I took a vow that I will stay that way”. Varazin looked at him like he couldn’t understand. “You’re a male right? How are you going to pass on your seed if you can’t mate?” he asked like Joel was dumb. “I have a brother who can continue the family line” Joel said. “No wonder your soul smells so good. That’s probably why Vysel keeps attacking you”. “Varazin, next time you see Vysel, punch him in the face” Joel said.

With that he dismissed the naga and went to sleep. Varazin slithered out of the room muttering to himself. When he was roused awake a few hours later, it was by the captain. “Sir, we are approaching the capitol. It would be best to prepare before the crowds swarm the docks. You saved everyone after all” he said. Joel was thankful and got out of the bed. He stretched out and the captain went to wake up the rest of the passengers. He got on the deck and looked at the lights of the capitol against the night sky and dark sea. He heard slithering and he turned to see his nagas. They looked concerned for him. His brows furrowed as he looked at them. Ralmen came up to him, grabbed his hands and said “Joel, I heard from Varazin that you were not ever going to mate. You have to mate and pass on your seed”. Sargrin said “I thought he was just lying but I agree. You can’t keep it to yourself. Don’t you want any younglings?”. They were very worried for him. Joel sighed and pat them on the heads. They all groaned and complained about being babied. “How old are you? Maybe 200 years old or so right?”. They blushed and Sargrin said that they were all 107 years old. 

The rest of the Party came on to the deck and everyone saw the glowing lights over the ever approaching docks. It was so nice that Joel even started to cry. Surprisingly, he was not the only one crying on the deck. Vysel was also crying audibly in Percival’s arms. He was doing his best to shush him and rub his shoulders. When they got to the docks, there was a small crowd of workers and well wishers cheering for them. The Party members and the crew disembarked from the ship first and the demons followed them. The people on docks that were looking started to boo and throw things at them. Gregory had to demand that they stopped. Eventually soldiers came down to greet them. Gregory ordered them to give them an escort to the castle. It was an hour walk down the cobblestone path. The people of the capitol were cheering for them and booing the demons. The soldiers and the sailors had their chests puffed out and did their best to protect the demons from the debris. 

Inside the castle everyone was ushered directly to the throne room. The king was sat on the throne with his crown and scepter. Joel and the other humans knelt before him. Brittany gave a brief curtsy and Percival and the demons stood. The king gave a gentle smile and said “All is peaceful in our lands once more. Gregory, my darling grandson, you have truly became the Hero I knew you to be”. Gregory nodded and smiled up at his grandfather. The king turned to address the crew of the cog that they had been sailing with. “When I first heard that Gregory was getting involved with smugglers, I had grave concerns. However, his testimony of your loyalty inspired many members of the court. In order to reward you for your bravery in a foreign land, I will give you official rank. Captain Neal, you shall be awarded the rank of Rear Admiral and your crew will be given the rank of Lieutenant. You will also be given salaries worthy of your rank” he said to the gleeful cheers of the men. The king dismissed the soldiers and they filed out of the room. The door was shut tightly behind them so the king was alone with those who were abroad.

The king allowed those kneeling to rise. “I am grateful to you who have done your part for the safety of all of Tramis. However, I only see three Companions. What happened to the others?” It was then that Percival explained that Charlie and Susan had previous engagements and could not attend. The king asked him to give a detailed account on what had happened and he did a fine job of mixing the more emotional elements with the heroic feats. The king was quite pleased with the tale. He then turned to Joel. Joel was flustered with the attention of such an important person but did his best to remember his manners. “A monk, a cleric, and a necromancer meet up and go on an adventure of their own. That certainly seems like an interesting tale in and of itself. Tell me about it, if you can” he said just as gentle as with his other statements. Joel took a breath to calm himself and explained his journey from when he left the monastery to reaching the rest of the Party. The king looked at Gregory with a sad face and said “I’m sorry about Lucy, my boy. I know you were close to her. I would have loved to see her here with you”. Gregory looked torn as well and said “Grandfather, if she were here with me, she would have been here as my bride to be”.

The king nodded his head slowly and put on a pained smile. “Well we must reward those that did come home. Companions do not always stay, but when they do they are given positions in the court. Joel, you are a monk from the Buzzseal Monastery of the goddess Agrella. We could use the blessings of wisdom. You can be our Court Chaplain”. Joel was floored at the generosity of the king. He had misgivings about staying in court with the prince so upset at the fate of the woman he loved. Now he had three nagas to look after. “Your Majesty, I would please me greatly to serve you in the court. I have a recently widowed mother as well as two younger siblings in the monastery waiting for my return. May they join me here in the capitol?” he asked. The king smiled and said they could all live together. Joel bowed once again and the king turned to Percival. 

He said “While many do not find your magic savory, it must not be evil if you were chosen to fight the Demon Lord. I will offer you the position of Court Mage and will advise the kings of the land on magical matters”. Percival nodded and knelt before the king. “I will advise you well. I also have family that I would like to bring to the capitol”. The king agreed and Percival stood up smiling. When the king addressed Brittany, she was waiting in anticipation her her reward. The king looked a bit sheepish and said “I’m sorry but I’m not sure there is a position for someone of your skill set”. Brittany looked disappointed but the king was quick to add “However, a returning Companion must be rewarded. I will grant you a title and some land near the capitol. Is this acceptable to you Brittany”. She purred in satisfaction, surprising everyone. She blushed and nodded. “I will be forever at your service”.

The king nodded at her and as his gaze fell on the demons his smile dropped. His face was full of disdain as he asked “Why are they here defiling this grand hall?”. Percival did not miss a beat and said “You Majesty, these are prisoners under the custody of Joel and I. We are taming them so that they may be a glory to not only us but to you and the people of Parcel”. “Hmm. How do you figure that?” the king said skeptically as he rested his chin in the palm of his hand. Percival smiled and said that it would be in the best interest to tell the people that by taming these demons instead of killing them would make them look more moral and virtuous. “I think the people already know quite well that the people of Tramis are more moral and virtuous than the demons. Why else are you bringing the demons under your protection?” Percival said that he was going to use them in his research and experiments. This seemed to satisfied him and he nodded. “That is a reason to keep them around at least” he said disdainfully. The then king allowed them to roam the halls of the castle as long as they didn’t harm anyone.

They were then directed to lavish and spacious rooms. All three nagas all had to share the room with Joel in the room next door and Vysel slept with Percival. Joel prayed for good fortune and spent time writing a letter to his family. Ralmen and Sargrin were looking over his shoulder to see what it was. “What does it say? Is it a spell or a marking?” Sargrin asked eagerly. Joel read the letter out loud so they could both hear what he wrote. He could also see Varazin straining to hear from where he was. “What does love feel like? You used the word 3 times” Ralmen asked after Joel finished reading. Joel paused to gather his thoughts. How could he explain as hard to understand as love to demons who can’t experience it. Then he remembered an earlier conversation with Ralmen. “There are many types of love based on the bonds you share with someone. Two types of love that I can tell you about is familial love and romantic love”. The nagas nodded and looked attentively at him. “The love you feel for family is a feeling that you want the best for them and want to see them do well in life. What do you feel about each other? You are all nest mates”. They looked at each other very closely and Joel could see them really focus on each other’s faces.

Ralmen sighed and shook his head. He looked at Joel with a blank expression. “When I think about Varazin or Sargrin, I don’t feel anything special. I like them but it isn’t different from anything else I like”. The other nagas agreed with him. Joel looked at the naga and said “Earlier today, you told me you had feelings for me”. He blushed that gray color he had gotten used to seeing. “What you told me was close to what I would say is a type of love”. The two other nagas looked at Ralmen with fascination. He looked shocked and was looking down at his hands. He looked Joel in the eyes and asked “Do you think that I can love you one day?”. Joel said “I’m not sure. If you feel anything new, you can come and tell me about it. I can listen to you if you want me to”. He nodded and leaned back on his tail. Joel offered to teach them to write and they agreed to it. They slithered out the room leaving Varazin alone with Joel. Joel went back to his letter writing. He wanted to give his thanks and regards to the monks who helped train him. It was not long before he forgot he was alone. He was reading back his progress when Varazin sighed loudly. Joel was startled and he dropped the letter.

Joel bent over to pick his letter as he heard Varazin laugh and slither closer. Joel felt a push that sent him crashing to the ground. Joel sat up to look at the smiling naga. Joel was confused why he would do that until he looked closer at his face. If it was Ralmen that did this, he could accept that it was a mistake. He could understand Sargrin being rowdy and playing a trick on him. Joel saw pure malice on his face. Joel tried to get up, but Varazin pushed him again and slithered closer. “Stay there. I have you right where I want you” he said happily as he looked down on his handiwork. Joel shifted his body to sit and get comfortable. “You’re going to sharpen my fangs tomorrow. I don’t care what the others think. You’re a human and I’ll never accept you as my master”. Joel was confused and he said “I can’t do that. It might not be allowed to spar until we ask for permission. I also already promised that I would spar with Ralmen. I thought that you wanted to fight with Sargrin to be the new nest leader”. The naga was not happy with that. He leaned over Joel and said “That’s not my problem, Joel. You can sharpen my fangs or I’ll fight you right now”. Joel smiled and said “You can try”.

Varazin hissed and lunged toward Joel’s throat. Joel saw his fangs graze along his neck and stay there. It looked like he was shaking. “I told you that you can’t attack me or use your powers on me” Joel said as he moved his neck away. Varazin was not being deterred. He said “Don’t get full of yourself. I’ll still make you sharpen my fangs”. Varazin reached a hand out to pull the human to his feet. Joel was about to thank him when Varazin began to coil around him. Joel was starting to get annoyed. “What are you doing?” he said trying to get out. The naga smirked at him. “I’m going to squeeze you until you tell me what I want to hear” he said. “Do whatever you want. I’ll stop you if you go too far”. He scowled and began to slowly flex the muscles in his tail, tightening around the monk. Joel was unconcerned at first knowing that he was in control of the situation. He also wanted to test the limits of the contract. As the tail constricted his movements more and began to press against his chest it became uncomfortable.

The naga was smiling as he squeezed tighter and tighter. When Joel was completely unable to move, he chuckled out loud. “Still not going to do as I say huh? Well, don’t blame me if I break you”. He tightened his tail quicker and both of the groaned out loud. It seemed that they both were hurt by that. Varazin smirked at Joel after catching his breath. “I guess this is the limit for you. Sharpen my fangs or you’re going to regret it. I can outlast a human”. He began slowly tightening his tail further. Joel had had enough of this petty aggression. “Varazin, let me go right now”. The naga stopped smiling and hissed. He said “No! I won’t let you win Joel. No human is going to tell me what to do”. Joel repeated himself and the naga jolted forward. He still looked at him defiantly. The tail wrapped around him didn’t loosen around him, but it seemed like it was all that he had to keep himself coiled as tight as he was. When Varazin began to breathe heavily out his mouth he braced himself against Joel’s shoulder’s. Soon his tail loosened its grip and he tried to tighten up again. Instead of getting tighter, his tail started to twitch and spasm. He cried out in pain. “I won’t let you win” he hissed again.

Joel knew that the naga was powerless to keep him held in place. His grip was growing weaker by the second. Varazin’s face was racked with pain, and he could see him trying to fight through it to hold on to him. Joel stepped out from the coils and Varazin collapsed on the floor panting on his back. It was a pitiful sight. “I don’t want to hurt you. Please just accept it”. The naga rolled over and Joel could see the hatred in his purple eyes. Joel sighed because he knew that nothing he said would get through to him. His goddess said to make peace if possible, but if not, destroy your enemies completely. Joel really wanted to help Varazin and crouched down next to him. He put his hand on his back and rubbed circles. If he could find a way to make peace, he would prefer it to just oppressing him outright. The naga tensed up and said “Fuck off! I don’t want to be pitied by you”. Joel continued and said “Just calm down Varazin. I want to know why you hate me so much”. He could see the muscles in his back tighten and loosen under his skin repeatedly. He was still trying to defy him. 

Joel decided to just wait for him as he continued to massage his back. Eventually he turned his head and choked out “You’re a human. We’re demons. I’m stronger than you. How did you beat us? It doesn’t make any sense. You killed our nestmates and Sargrin and Ralmen don’t want to avenge them. Just because no one else cares doesn’t mean I don’t care. One day, I’m going to get stronger. Strong enough to break the contract. When I do, I’m going to kill you. I don’t care what you say about it”. Joel sighed and said “Varazin, I’m not going to apologize for being who I am or protecting myself. I honestly want to take care of you. If you don’t stop antagonizing me, I’ll have to restrict you. What do you want to do?”. The naga bared his fangs again and said “Fuck off, Joel. Stop pretending that you want to save me. You’re not so good. I won’t let a human get the best of me”. Joel looked at the naga and he saw surprised that there were tears coming out of his eyes. Joel sighed again and killed the kindness in his heart. “Get out of my room. I don’t want to see you until the morning”. Varazin lunged again, but Joel dodged the attack. Joel took the naga by the hair and dragged him out the room.

Joel had a lot of trouble getting him out of his room. Not only was Varazin unwilling and actively trying to stay in the room, his body was too long and heavy to easily move him. He thrashed his tail violently and tried to push against Joel. Ralmen and Sargrin looked concerned when they appeared from their room. Varazin had his arm bent behind his back as he tried to bite and claw at Joel with his free hand. Joel had many scratches and bruises on his arms and face. He looked at the other nagas and said “Take him to his room and keep him there until tomorrow”. They were surprised and upset, but complied with the command. They helped restrain their nestmate and took him away after a brief scuffle with them as well. Brittany walked up to him and healed the wounds Joel had gotten. “Do you still think it was wise to bring them here?” she asked. She looked like she was about to gloat to him about saving the demons. Joel smiled at her and said “I think that it is something I will need to think on. However, I would appreciate it if you could help me with something Brittany”. She looked unsure as Joel whispered in her ear, but slowly began to smile. “That’s interesting. I would love to help” she said.

The next day, the Party was allowed to roam the grounds of the castle freely while the court left on an outing. A guard directed them to the training grounds and the demons came with them to inspect the arena where they would train in the early morning. Joel looked at his nagas and smiled. “Before we left on the ship, I promised that we would have a chance to let you sharpen your fangs” he began. Varazin stared at him steely eyed but said nothing as Sargrin touched his arm playfully. “I want to see how you have grown. I also have a reward for the winners of the fights between the nagas. Percival will reward Vysel as he sees fit”. “Just tell me what I have to do in order to fight you and wipe that smile off your face” Varazin interrupted. Joel smiled a bit colder than normal and said “If you can beat Sargrin, you will be the leader of your nest. Then you can fight against a Companion like you have been asking”. Varazin was suspicious that he was getting his way so easily. He nodded and slithered his way to one end of the arena. “So, what do I get if I win?” Sargrin asked with a smile on his face. “If you win, I’ll give you something nice to celebrate”.

He laughed and said “I guess I should win this then”. He left for the opposite end of the arena and actually looked imposing. Joel walked in the middle to call the match. “For this session, we want to see how far you’ve grown. You can use all your skills and powers. Do not kill each other or try to do permanent damage”. Joel gave them the signal to start an moved out of the way. As he approached the center Varazin hissed and said “Just give up. I won’t let anyone get in my way”. Sargrin chuckled as he advanced and said “I don’t know. I really want that prize Joel was offering. You could give up. Joel will give you a fight if you just stop being so angry”. They both reached the center and stared into each other’s eyes. “Not going to try anything?” Sargrin asked as he raised his arms in a protective stance. He was smiling, but the spectators could see the intense focus of his eyes. Varazin scoffed and said “I don’t need it to fight you. Besides, I need to keep something a secret if I’m going to beat him”. His focus was just as focused as he took a more offensive stance. It was quiet for a moment before Varazin lunged forward. It became a tangled mess of limbs as their tails coiled together.

Sargrin and Varazin were rolling on the ground and wrestling each other trying to pin the other down. Varazin was the aggressive one, using brute force and constant pressure to keep his ground. Sargrin was the more technical of the two. He was able to deftly slip out of Varazin’s holds and apply some of his own before it was broken up. Joel looked at the rest of the Party to see their reactions. It appeared that Percival and Brittany were entertained by the fight. With his impassive face, it was hard to tell what Gregory was thinking. Vysel and Ralmen were talking and it looked like they were not paying attention. He tried to catch what they were saying for a few minutes. It was hard as they were talking low, but from what he could hear he realized they were talking about him. Apparently they were both taken with how strong he was. Joel was a bit embarressed so he stopped trying to listen in on them. Back in the match, Varazin looked like he had the upper hand. “I got you now. Give up” he gloated holding both of Sargrin’s arms behind his back. “I don’t think so” Sargrin answered cheekily as he rammed his head back and slammed Varazin’s face. The force caused him to let go of Sargrin’s arms. 

Sargrin was able knock Varazin to the side and they scrambled for dominance again. It was impressive seeing the red and brown of their tails overtake on another. Joel was curious about who was going to win. Sargrin was able to pin Varazin’s arms above his head and was looking down at him. “Looks like I win doesn’t it?” he asked smiling. They were both tired and were breathing heavily. Varazin was struggling frantically to break free, but Sargrin was able to keep his grip and balance. Joel walked down to the center to call the match. Varazin saw him approach and struggled even more to free himself. He was able to get out of Sargrin’s grip, causing him to slip. From there he pulled Sargrin down and bit his shoulder. Joel could feel the bite on his own shoulder. Sargrin cried out in pain as he was flipped over. Varazin put his arm on his throat and put his weight on him. “I won’t lose to anyone. Not even you” he said. Joel had to call the match as he could feel his throat tightening. Sargrin was struggling but it looked like he was too tired to break free. “Varazin wins. Get off him now”. Varazin smirked as he untangled his tail from his nestmate. 

Sargrin hissed out loud and tried to lunge at Varazin. “Sargrin, stop. Come here please” Sargrin turned to Joel and bared his fangs. After that, he slowly came closer to Joel. “I don’t want to talk right now. You saw what happened” he said. Joel stepped closer to look at the bloody wound and asked if it hurt. Sargrin looked blankly at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think he would do that” Joel said as he reached into his pockets. “Do you want something good?” he asked. Sargrin smiled and nodded his head. “Here you go” Joel said as he handed him a demon core. Sargrin’s eyes sparkled. “You sure you want to give it to me? I lost you know” Sargrin said in awe as he took it in his hands. “I wanted to reward you for doing a good job” Joel said as he brought him in for a hug. “Are you sure you don’t want to mate with me?” Sargrin chuckled. Varazin got between them and said “Where is my reward? Give me a core as well”. Joel gazed coldly and said “You have your rewards. You are the leader now. A companion will fight you later. I’m not a liar”. He slithered off muttering under his breath. Joel was going to go back when Sargrin grabbed his hand and pulled him back. 

Joel was confused and looked back at him. “Feed it to me” he said. Joel smiled and said “You like it when I’m nice to you” as he took the core. He opened his mouth and Joel fed him the core. It was a few moments later that the wounds from the bite marks began to disappear. Joel was pleased that it was working. Sargrin giggled and warmly said “Thank you”. Joel nodded and called for Ralmen. He slithered up to them and asked “What’s happening?” “Varazin hurt Sargrin and it made me feel pain as well. If you still want to fight we can, but not if you don’t want to” was the reply. Ralmen quickly shook his head. “I’m fine with just watching the other matches” he said. Joel nodded and said “I know, but I feel bad. I want you to have this” as he handed him the other core in his pocket. Ralmen smiled and ate the core happily. As the core rushed through him, he laughed. Joel made sure to pat both of them on the head. They both blushed the now familiar gray color. Varazin called out “What about our fight? You promised that I could sharpen my fangs”. Joel said “I said you would fight a Companion. You can face Brittany. She wanted to fight for a while now”.

Varazin spat in anger and thrashed his tail. “Damn it Joel! Stop being a coward and fight me! If you think you can hide behind her, you’re wrong. I am going to kill you and anyone who gets in my way”. Gregory stood up and walked toward the angry naga. As Gregory unsheathed his golden sword, he grew quiet. The hero stood face to face with Varazin and said “You are a demon and a prisoner. You have no right to refuse any order Joel gives you. You also do not have the right to say you will kill us. If you don’t like it, I can take you on”. Varazin looked scared and turned away from Gregory. He walked back to his seat and glared at Varazin. “Fine, I’ll fight because I’m not a coward”. He said as he slithered down to meet Brittany. Joel gave him a sword so that he could fight. “Once again, no lethal wounds. Do your best to have fun. Begin!” he said as he left to watch. Brittany drew her sword and smiled. “If someone in my order told me I would spar with a demon, I would laugh at them. I’m going to enjoy this” she said. Varazin spat out “I’m going to beat you”. He glared and she looked him in the eyes. 

It was then that she slowly lowered her sword. “Come here, now”. Brittany stood as still as stone until the purple eyed naga repeated himself. Her eyes were blank and unfocused and her mouth was shut. The Party members were stunned into silence at what they were seeing. With shaky legs she walked a couple of steps. “Drop your weapon and come to me” he hissed with unblinking eyes. Brittany let go of her sword and took another shaky step. Varazin slithered closer and was about to wrap her up when Brittany sprang up and dodged his tail. Brittany saw everyone and shook herself fully awake. “If I hadn’t been caught in the trap of the Demon Lord, I would not have been able to escape” she said. Varazin shot forward with his sword. Brittany flipped out of the way and picked up her sword. “Take your best shot!” she yelled as she took a defensive stance. Varazin attacked with his sword. Brittany’s smile did not fade as she parried all of his attacks and tapped him with the blunt edge of her sword. The longer it went on the angrier the naga became. His attacks had more force behind them than before, but they also got more clumsy. Brittany was able to disarm him and held her sword to his throat.

Varazin was furious and yelled out loud. Joel decided to call the match and Brittany left. Percival had no interest in fighting Vysel so they also left. Soon, Joel was alone with his nagas. He was looking around when Varazin said “Why didn’t you fight him, Ralmen? I would have killed to put him in his place and you just threw it away”. Ralmen looked uncomfortable and looked away. He said “I just was tired”. Joel allowed it as it was his right as leader. He lead them back to his room so he could reread his letter and send it out. “Listen to me. You three are not to harass or harm my family”. “I’ll do whatever I want. You can’t stop me” Varazin said defiantly. Joel turned and saw that the red scaled naga was leaning against the bed. He didn’t seem to be looking at him when he said that. Joel told him to open his mouth again. Varazin glared at him. “Fuck off! You’re just a pervert. I bet you learned it from your family”. Joel frowned at that statement and started to rub his fingers against the roof of his mouth. Varazin did his best to look defiant, but soon the blood rushed to his cheeks and his eyes grew hazy. Joel smirked at him and said “I think the only pervert is you. You were about to moan for me, weren’t you?”. Varazin pulled the fingers out his mouth and said “No human would be able to satisfy me”.

Sargrin smiled and said “Maybe as a snack”. The others laughed at that. Joel stuck his fingers in the naga’s mouth again. Varazin couldn’t stifle his moan and Joel smiled at him. “I’m going to kill you” he said as he pushed Joel away. Ralmen looked at him and said “Wow, you’re really big. If we found mates, she would love you”. Varazin’s erections were exposed and he smirked. “I’m sure she would. Joel on the other hand, is not virile enough for that. He can’t even mate, I’m not sure that he isn’t impotent”. Joel rolled his eyes and sat at his desk. Varazin wasn’t finished and said “Joel’s manhood is probably just for show. If a male doesn’t want to mate, there’s probably something wrong”. Sargrin and Ralmen looked at Joel. “Joel, say something to him” Ralmen told him. Sargrin looked between Varazin and Joel twice. When Joel looked back at him without responding, he looked malicious and slithered closer to him. “Joel, I like you. You advanced us and take care of us. I won’t follow a weak leader. If what Varazin is true, I won’t follow you”. He loomed over Joel and looked imposing. Joel looked him in the eye and said. “I beat you in that alley and I saved your life. If I’m weak, how strong are you? If you think you want to defy me, I can treat you like Varazin”. 

The green eyed stare from Sargrin began to soften. “Fine, I’ll follow you. I know you’re strong. If I sense any weakness from you though, I’ll kill you myself”. Joel nodded and picked up his letter to his family. “Stay here. I will fetch a servant to send out this letter” he instructed as he left the room. It was easy to find as servant walking around. He gave him the letter and was directed to where he had to go to have it delivered. After depositing it, he made his way to his room. He was aware of the respect and deference he was been shown. He hoped that his family would come to the capitol as soon as possible. His brother was a good fighter, but also very smart. He was able to tell him anything. His sister deserved to get out and see the world. Until his journey, he had never been further than the nearest town from the monastery. She couldn’t even leave her room due to the rules of the monks. His mother was always a source of support. While his father would give him good advice, he could vent and be consoled by his mother. His father was gone, but he was not forgotten. 

He sighed and shook his head. As he was walking back to his room, he saw Vysel following a young maid with a lewd grin on his face. Their eyes met and the incubus put a finger against his lips. It seemed that he was feeding on the servants here as well. He smiled knowingly at Joel and followed her around the corner. He looked away in annoyance and continued on his way. It was not his concern. He was nearly at his room when Percival called out to him. “Have you seen my incubus anywhere? Vysel slipped away and I haven’t seen him” he said. Joel told him about the maid and went inside his room. As he looked at the corner of the room he saw that Varazin pushing Ralmen down against the bed. Varazin looked like he was going to bite him like he did earlier with Sargrin. “Varazin, don’t bite him. Tell me what happened”. Varazin looked up and said “I’m the nest leader. I get to put down all challenges the way I see fit. He said that you were a better leader than me”. Joel said “He’s right. Let him go”. Sargrin smiled and said “Why are you stopping them from fighting? You should stop babying him. Ralmen is actually the fastest of all of us”.

Joel pat Sargrin on the shoulder where he was bitten. He looked at the hand sheepishly “We are linked together because of the contract. I get hurt when you do if I can’t protect you. I won’t try to make you, but I would like it if you didn’t hurt yourselves”. Sargrin nodded his head and as when went over to the desk. Ralmen separated himself from Varazin and slithered to the far side of the room. He gave a small thank you, before staying quiet. Varazin got in his face and glared at him. “Let me use my eyes on you. You can’t lead us, and I could do way better than you”. Joel thought about it. On one hand he was interested in the nagas’ growing powers. On the other, he knew that Varazin would try to kill him if he was successful. If he did, only Ralmen would try to protect him. After thinking it through, he said “Sargrin can if he wants, but not you”. Sargrin laughed loudly from the desk and Varazin turned to yell at him to shut up. Joel told the others to leave. Varazin snarled “I’m not leaving”. Ralmen left immediately. Joel waited until he slithered out in pain. He turned to Sargrin and asked if he was ready to start. The naga chuckled “Sit on your bed and wait for me”.

Joel sat up on the edge of his bed as the naga slowly approached. “Why do you want to do this for him? What if I hurt you?” he asked as he stretched his arms behind his back. “I wanted to try it out. I think you would do a good job without killing me” Joel said. Sargrin smirked and said “I’ll be gentle… unless you want me to be rough with you”. Joel looked at him and said “I’ll leave that up to you”. “Joel, you are a brave human. I’ll start right now. I want you to look into my eyes and keep focusing on me” he said seriously. His eyes glowed a bright jade. As Joel looked into his eyes, he could feel his mind clearing up. It was like going into a deep meditation. His brother was always better at it than him, but he could get pretty deep before getting distracted. This was a glamor similar to Vysel’s. “Joel, I want you to stand up”. Joel felt like that he wanted to comply with the request. He stood and waited for the next instruction. Sargrin said “Pat me on the head Joel”. Joel decided not to do that and his hand began to shake. Sargrin leaned in closer and said “Joel, pat me on the head. You want to do it, right?”. There was a warm feeling coming from his head telling him to do it. Slowly, Joel raised his hand and pat the naga on the head.


	7. Chapter 7

Sargrin’s eyes looked even brighter than before. “Hey, rub my back like you did for me when I advanced” he whispered seductively. Joel resisted and stood still. Sargrin kept eye contact and asked him again, but Joel’s hands began to shake. “... no...” Joel slowly whispered. Sargrin got closer and asked “Don’t you want to do it Joel?”. Joel was able to push him away and break eye contact. He was breathing heavy and was sweating. It definitely took its toll on a person under the control of the nagas. Sargrin was looking at Joel to see if he was okay. Joel sat down on the bed to get control of himself. “Companions are on a different level than other mortals, huh?” the naga observed cheekily. After a few minutes of controlled breathing with his eyes closed, Joel was composed. “Thank you. I think I understand a bit more now because of you. Come lie down across the bed”. Sargrin looked suspicious. “Are you going to punish me like Varazin now?” he accused. Joel smiled but remained quiet as Sargrin laid down on his stomach. When the naga was settled on the bed Joel straddled his back. Sargrin was confused and said “What are you doing? Get off me”. Joel pat him on the back and said “I wanted to reward you. Do you want me to massage your back for you?”.

The naga looked unsure before looking away. “If you want to reward me, do whatever you want” was the reply. Joel started by running his hand down the nagas back. He repeated the motion a few times and he saw Sargrin was tense. “Sargrin, are you okay? I want you to relax” he told him. Sargrin scoffed and said “It’s hard for me to relax when you’re dominating me”. Joel looked confused and the naga sighed. “Remember when we were sharpening our fangs? We weren’t doing that for no reason. That’s how nagas fight each other. We pin down our enemies. We get to show our power without needing to worry about getting too hurt. I don’t like you holding me down” he explained. Joel immediately got off of him and continued running his hands down his back. Joel started with Sargrin’s left side. He took hold of the flesh with his hands as he used his thumbs to loosen the tension and knots in the muscles as he moved up from where his scales started to his shoulder. Sargrin was practically mewling and his tail swished off the bed by the time he was finished with that side. “Joel, please be my mate! That was by far the greatest thing to ever happen to me” he said looking over his shoulder at Joel. Joel said “That was just the left side. I still have to do the right” and laughed from the awed reaction he got.

Giving Sargrin the massage was fun for Joel. The monks had taught him and his brother these techniques to help each other after intense training sessions. His brother liked it when he would massage his legs and back. The responses he would get from undoing a knot in the muscles or running his hands across Sargrin’s back were exciting and almost funny for Joel. “You’ve never been massaged before”. The naga snorted “I already told you, there’s no way you can lay down and just show your back. You would be pinned and dominated”. Joel nodded, trying hard to understand and said “I won’t do that to you as long as you behave”. Sargrin smiled at him excitedly and Joel smiled back. “I want Varazin and Ralmen to feel it too” he said as he got up from the bed. It was still early in the afternoon. “Bring them in if they want”. Sargrin left in a hurry and Joel was left to himself. His mind wandered off to thoughts of his family and he soon dozed off. He woke up to prodding by the three nagas. Joel was also surprised that Vysel was there as well. “I found everyone. Do what you did to me to everyone” Sargrin said. Joel asked Ralmen over and told him to lay down on the bed. “Sargrin told us that this is the best thing to ever happen” he said as he laid down. Joel smiled before beginning.

Ralmen seemed even more receptive to the massage then Sargrin. When he was finished and let him up, Ralmen was practically glowing. Sargrin came over excited and asked “How did you like it? It felt great, right?”. Ralmen’s cheeks were gray and he looked sheepish. “It felt really good. I had to fight to keep my manhood under control”. Sargrin leaned in and nuzzled close to him. “I felt the same way”. Joel was happy that they were happy. Vysel came over and flopped down on the bed. “I want a massage as well” he said. Joel glared at him and told him to leave him alone. He pouted and said “Why do I have to go? I have to feed, or I could die. Your soul smells so good, I can’t help it”. Joel pointed to the open door of the room and said “I don’t like you because you keep trying to force yourself on me. I’m not going to tumble with you or anyone”. Vysel scowled at him and said “You really like Varazin more than me? He wants to really kill you”. Joel nodded and said “I don’t need to protect you”. Joel called over Varazin to come to him and lay on the bed.

As Varazin laid down on the bed, Joel quickly straddled his back. Varazin tried to buck him off by turning his body, but he was able to stay on top of him. Joel told him to stay still. “Get the fuck off me, Joel!” the naga yelled. Joel smiled down to him. “You have to trust me. I know what I’m doing” he said as he began his massage. It was harder as the naga under him kept tensed up, but it just made Joel want to work harder. With his vantage point, he was able to get both sides of his back at the same time. He could see that Varazin was doing his absolute best to not make any noises. At one point, he even bit his own hand. At the end, Joel leaned back in the naga’s red scales and asked how he was feeling. Sargrin and Ralmen looked expectantly at him. His face was certainly gray as he was getting the massage. Varazin closed his eyes and took time to compose himself before smiling maliciously at them. “You two are way too easy. You could barely keep your manhoods inside. I already told you that no human could satisfy me. Especially someone who isn’t a real male” he smirked. The others looked ashamed. 

Joel leaned forward again, trailing his fingers up Varazin spine. “Wh-what are you doing!? Get off me” he asked as his body stiffened. Joel placed his hands on his neck gently and began to massage the tension out. Varazin brought his hand up to bite again, but Joel told him to keep his hands off his face. Varazin didn’t even have time to glare before Joel reached for his ear. As he continued to massage his ear, the naga let out a loud moan. “How do you like my massage now?” Joel asked mockingly. Varazin’s tail was swaying side to side, and the bright red scales scraped against the floor. “Fuck. Off!” was the reply from him as he buried his head into the soft pillows. It was very entertaining to watch him. Joel chuckled as he moved to the second ear. He looked to the side and was very surprised to see the expressions on their faces. They looked deadly serious and leaned in closer. Joel stopped his massage and turned to them. “What’s wrong?” he asked concerned. Sargrin was the one who spoke up. “We can smell arousal. I think you should stop for now” he said. Joel decided to get off of him. Varazin got up and Joel could see his erections. He looked very upset.

Varazin was almost spitting in anger. “I’m going to fucking to kill you” he said. Joel was not too concerned. Sargrin and Ralmen looked conflicted over who to support. Vysel on the other hand was staring at Varazin. Joel wanted to ask him what was wrong and was surprised when Vysel spoke up and said “He is going to have his way with you if you don’t take him seriously. I could calm him down if you let me”. Joel shook his head and said “No, I wouldn’t want that for my worst enemy. Varazin, you stay here. The rest of us will leave the room”. Ralmen and Sargrin slithered out the room. He was going to go as well when he noticed that Vysel stood in place and didn’t look like that he was going to move. “Vysel, I told you to leave. Move, or I will move you” he said. Vysel turned to him and smirked. “You can’t order me around or kill me. You will fall to my power again. You can’t do anything” he jokingly said. Joel fell into a fighting stance and was going to charge when a hiss got their attention. Joel turned in time to dodge a lunge from the naga. “Shut the fuck up. Get over here!”. Vysel walked up to him and smiled. “I’ll play with you” he purred seductively. Varazin backhanded him to the floor.

Varazin didn’t break eye contact with Joel. “I’m sick and tired of you thinking that you’re better than me. I’m going to have fun breaking you”. Joel knew better than to stay with the two demons that had the means for making good on those threats. He ran out the door before either of them could stop him. He slammed the door behind him. He could feel the resistance of the door as someone tried pulling the door open. He braced against the door and kept it closed. After a full minute of pulling and banging from the other side, it all went quiet. Joel jumped back and looked around the hallway. He decided to just go to the room where the nagas were assigned. When he got there, Ralmen and Sargrin were there already. He walked over to the bed and laid down as the nagas gathered around him. “I’m tired. Protect me while I’m sleeping. If Vysel or Varazin come by, don’t let them in” he told them. 

He woke up to an alert for supper from a human servant. The maid was quivering as she spoke while Ralmen and Sargrin laid on either side of him and looked menacingly at her. She excused herself and left in a hurry. He got up from the bed and prepared for dinner. Sargrin grabbed him from behind as he reached for the door. Joel stopped and looked at him. “When are we going to eat? No one asks us if we’re hungry” he said. Joel turned around and paid close attention to them. “Are you actually hungry? I’m sorry, but I guess that I didn’t think about if demons needed to eat” he said. Ralmen looked upset. “Of course we need to eat. Why do you think we were doing it the alley?” he whined. Joel said “I thought that you did it because you just liked doing it as demons”. 

Sargrin smiled and said “Well, we kind of do both. I won’t lie- terrorizing my prey makes it taste better. We do need to eat every so often outside of the demon country”. “Would you like something to eat?” Joel asked them. They shook their heads. “We ate a lot in the town. It will last for a few more days” Sargrin said. Joel told them to wait in their room for him to come back and behave themselves. He walked down do the dining hall. When he got there he was ushered to a seat at the table. He was seated between Percival and Brittany. The food was exquisite and he had to purposely restrain himself from being to greedy. Others at the table noticed and softly chuckled at him. It made Joel feel a bit foolish, but he laughed as well. The meal was in good cheer and a celebration of their return. The king had mentioned that there would be a festival to celebrate their victory coming in a few weeks. After listening to the cheers, he excused himself and he left with his servants.

Joel asked for some of the food leftovers from the kitchen staff after the table was cleared after the meal. He was able to get a serving cart with some pudding, fish and venison. There were also several chalaces with a pitcher of mead. It was a bit hard to get it to the room but he was able to with the help of the servants. He dismissed the servants after thanking them for their hard work. As he walked in the room, all four demons turned to him. Joel was almost not surprised to see them all together. “I hear that you might be hungry, so I brought food for you. I think you can ask Percival to feed you if you get hungry, Vysel” he said. Vysel smiled at him before saying “You could feed me at anytime as well if you wanted to” before he skipped out the room. Varazin looked at the cart before turning his nose away. “If you want to feed us, the least you could do is give us fresh meat!” he said. 

Joel didn’t pay him any mind. “Ralmen, Sargrin, do you want to try this food. It tastes good and I know that you won’t have had it before in the demon country” he said. The two looked at each other before slithering closer to the cart. Sargrin stuck his tongue out and said “This thing over here and this drink is very sweet”. Ralmen did the same. “I want to try it. Give us some, Joel” he said. Joel smiled at him and nodded. He took a spoonful of the pudding and held it out to Sargrin with his hand under it. “Open your mouth so I can feed you”. Sargrin did as he was told and Joel let the pudding fall into his mouth. Sargrin then closed his mouth and spread it around his mouth in glee. Joel took another spoonful and fed it to Ralmen. Both nagas seemed to love it. Sargrin took Joel by the hands. “I’m so glad we were able to meet you. Since we met you, you’ve given us lots of good things. We even got advanced because of you. I don’t care anymore, just be my mate already!” he said. 

Joel was a little shocked at the high praise. Ralmen pushed his Sargrin away and said “No! I want to be his mate! I said it first” he said. Sargrin hissed at him and Ralmen hissed back. Joel said “Ralmen and Sargrin stop it and calm down. You both already know I took vows. I won’t be anyone’s mate. I will feed both of you” he said calmly. They visibly shuddered as the muscles relaxed against their wills. It looked pretty uncomfortable for both of them. They were visibly upset. “I want you guys to get along like always. I will protect all three of you” he tried to console them. He gave Sargrin another spoonful of pudding followed by one for Ralmen. After that he gave them both a spoon so they could eat the rest by themselves. “Share it equally among yourselves” he instructed. “I don’t get anything then?” Varazin complained. Joel turned to him and asked if he wanted pudding. He looked at it before shaking his head. 

Joel gestured to the cart. “Would you like the venison or fish?” he asked Varazin. He looked at the cart and stuck his tongue out. Why does it smell like that? There isn’t even much blood in it anymore” he said cautiously. “Just eat it already. If you don’t do it, we will” Sargrin said as they were already half finished with the bowl. Varazin softly hissed and pointed at the meat. “Feed me the meat” he demanded. Joel took a knife and fork and cut a piece of venison. He held it out for Varazin. He scoffed and took the fork for himself. He put it in his mouth and bit down on it. He seemed to not like it and roughly passed the fork back to his chest. The ends of the fork were gone. Varazin smirked and said “I knew it. This meat is so nasty. Mortals are so fragile that they need to do all this just to eat”. Joel shrugged and turned to the others to see if they were satisfied. They were just about finished with the pudding. They looked just as blissful as when they first tasted it. 

Varazin cleared his throat, clearly annoyed. “Do not ignore me Joel! I’m going to try the other food now” he said as he slithered past him. Joel ignored him and asked “Did you enjoy the pudding? If you liked it, I could try to get more for you later. Would you like that?”. They nodded enthusiastically. He smiled at them and took the bowl to put it back on the cart. They all had some of the mead. It didn’t seem to affect them at all as demons. They didn’t complain about the taste. He stood aside and let them eat the fish and venison. They didn’t seem to enjoy it. “I wish there was more blood in the food” Sargrin sighed as he chewed. Ralmen agreed with him. “I want to eat another human. Can we, Joel?” he asked. Joel looked at them both. “No, you can’t eat any humans. I’ll see if that can change, but for now I forbid it” he said. They looked rebuked and turned their heads. He smiled and said “Thank you for understanding. I’ll reward you two in some other way”.

Joel left the room and entered his own. He changed into his night clothes and fell asleep. When he woke up he decided to bathe. He was directed to the noble bathing house. As it was still very early in the morning, no one was there and the water needed to be warmed. A servant was woken to do this task. Joel took the time to recite his prayers from memory. When the time came he disrobed and cleaned the dirt and grime from his body. He then added the scented oils to the baths and got in. He was pleased at the comfort afforded to him by the bath. He soaked in the water for a half hour before getting out and drying himself with a cotton cloth. He put on new clothes and walked around the castle grounds. After a few hours meeting court members and the servants, the monk decided to return to his room. On the way back, he saw Sargrin wandering the halls. Everyone was giving him a wide berth and would mutter under their breath at him. He hissed at them and they hurried off.

Joel was observing him from around a corner of the hallway leading to the stairs. He wanted to see what he would do if he was alone. It would be interesting. He could see the naga’s head flick over to his direction. Joel ducked out of sight and stood where he was. “I know that you’re there. Come out so I can see you”. Joel didn’t move and waited to see what would happen. He could hear Sargrin move to the corner. His voice had changed to the dark demonic tone he remembered from the town. “I can sense that you are either one of the Companions or the Hero from your soul. I don’t know how you changed your scent, but I don’t like you spying on me” he said. Joel came out from the corner to face him. Sargrin was surprised and leaned closer to him, taking Joel’s scent with his tongue.

He looked upset. “Why didn’t you come out sooner? I thought you were marking me as prey” he whined. Joel asked why he was so calm if he felt that way. “As long as we have our contract, I know that you’ll save me. Even if you didn’t, I would eat your soul if I survived long enough to get to you” he said with a wicked smile. Joel shivered from the naked malice he was receiving from the demon in front of him. This got him laughed at. Joel told him about the baths and he offered to bathe him. Sargrin grimaced and said “Why would I need something to change my scent. The others would probably attack me”. Joel nodded and decided to accompany Sargrin around for the rest of the day. They were met with weird glances and hostile looks, but they didn’t mind.


	8. Chapter 8

After a few weeks, a delegation from the monastery came to the capitol. In the days before, Joel was glowing positivity. “My family is coming to live here with me!” he told the four demons in his room. They were lounging around and were enjoying each other’s company. Joel and Vysel had their disagreements, but they really were able to come to an understanding. “I can’t wait to meet the one who spawned you” Ralmen said. He was able to get Ralmen and Sargrin integrate into the court. In order to feed them, the king allowed them to eat the executed and sentenced to die prisoners from the dungeons. Varazin was still angry at Joel, but had learned to go along to get along. Joel had several things on his desk. There were three colored hair combs and an exotic hair pin. 

He looked at Ralmen and gave him a yellow comb. “This is a comb. You can groom your hair with this”. He demonstrated with it on his head. Ralmen seemed to enjoy the feeling of the comb running through his hair. “This feels really good. Thank you” he said. Sargrin turned to his desk and picked up a green comb. “I really like this one” he said in gratitude. Joel smiled at him and saw him try to run it along Varazin’s back. He cried out in response and hissed at him. The rest laughed at his antics. He allowed the others to get their presents from the desk. They did and it seemed they enjoyed it as well. After a while, they decided to leave and he was left alone in his room. He went to bed in order to get to the next day when he could see his family. It had been so long.

The next day he got up early and prayed. Brittany and Percival had been teasing him for the last few days, but they were also excited for him. He was waiting for them at the gate when the envoy had arrived. It made his heart skip a beat. There were two wagons that came in the castle gates. The first wagon had Abbot Brandon and Joel’s master Orion. There were also some of the other young monks traveling with them as well. The second wagon contained his smiling family. Joel could feel the tears run down his face as he held his hand up to support his mother as she came down from the wagon. His brother was able to dismount by himself and help down his sister. Jeremy and Jane were Joel’s twin siblings. They had come of age recently. Joel was older by two years and loved them dearly.

He pulled them into a deep hug. They both eagerly hugged back. “Joel! Compose yourself. You are to prepare to become an acolyte and even further the Court Chaplain. Do not debase yourself in public like this again”came the booming voice of the man who taught him his combat skills and swordplay, Orion. Joel’s face flushed with shame. He had forgotten himself in the sight of his family. He looked down to the ground and said “I am so sorry my Learned Teacher, martial master. Please excuse me”. The abbot was a kind older man. He was the one who taught him to read and write as well as the faith. He knelt in front of the Abbot to kiss his ring. “I’m so pleased to see you all, it is hard to keep from smiling” he said. Orion clapped him on the back and chuckled. “We’ll see how much you’re smiling after a good spar, kid” he said.

He was nervous, but did his best to act confident as he introduced the envoy to his demons. It was clear his master and the abbot found it distasteful. His mother was deeply concerned for him and his siblings were curious. They were wise enough to not voice their opinions. The nagas were well behaved. They were ordered long before to not harm his family. They probably sensed that Orion and the abbot were too powerful to insult. Introducing them to the party members was much easier. Percival was polite but it was evident from the tensing of knuckles that he was wary of the abbot. The abbot looked gentle, but Joel could tell from the slight narrowing of his eyes that there was actual animosity toward him. “Learned Teacher, martial master, Percival was a valuable member of our Party. His magic had saved our lives”. The abbot seemed to relax and said “Thank you for taking care of our Young One”.

Brittany seemed to garner the most respect from the group. Joel’s family was shocked as they had never seen a beastkin before. They stared at her a bit more than would be considered polite until Orion coughed once as a warning. Everyone bowed for Gregory. Joel smiled as he felt pride swell in his chest for the respect his Hero was receiving. He caught himself, reminded of Percival’s words. He smiled wryly and led them to the throne room. The king was on his throne and the court was watching from their seats. “We welcome our distinguished guests from the esteemed Buzzseal Monastery”. Everyone, Party members and the envoy alike, bowed before him. He looked to Joel and said “Joel, you have done your family and monastery proud. In recognition of your talent, and reward for your victory We appointed you Court Chaplain. Now you can fulfill the role with an ordination”. The king gazed at the abbot and said “I’m sure that a week will be enough time to prepare, correct”. 

Abbot Brandon stood and shook his head. “I’m afraid it will not be enough time. Agrella is the patron of earthly wisdom. Before Joel can take the mantle of acolyte much less a court chaplain, he must be tested. To be fair, Joel will need to be secluded for at least a month studying. Then he must purify his mind and body and pray for her guidance. Only then will he be ready”. The king was shocked at the stark requirements placed on Joel’s shoulder. Even his fellow Party members were concerned for him. “Well We would never take this great undertaking from you if you are desiring. You are dismissed. We will hope for your success in a month” he said before dismissing them. Servants showed everyone their rooms and Abbot Brandon came into his room and presented him with the multiple books he would need to study. The nagas were in his room and were interested. The abbot was not pleased and said “For the next month he will not be able to entertain you. He must study and be able to reproduce all this knowledge in order to become a acolyte”. 

Ralmen sniffed and said “I don’t know about gods and things, but you can’t abandon us for that long Joel. We have our contract”. The abbot’s eyes grew wider and he demanded an explanation from Joel. He meekly explained the conditions for the contract. The abbot was very angry. “Were my teachings not enough to tell you the dangers of making contracts with demons, boy!? This is a bad omen! Why would you do this to yourself?” he said harshly. Joel winced and looked down. Sargrin spoke up and said “Joel is a great human! We treats us very well”. The abbot glared at him. “Seeing that you have this contract, Young One, we will take over guardianship of your… prisoners” he said with a forced calm. Joel looked the three of them in the eyes. “Listen to the orders of Abbot Brandon and my master until I am finished with my seclusion. They are strict, but good people so they will not harm you if you behave” he ordered them.

The abbot told them to leave the room and they did so reluctantly. “Thank you for that Joel. You are right. We won’t bring harm to them if they behave”. Joel smiled and kissed the abbot’s ring again. “Thank you for taking this responsibility for this month. It was a concern for me”. The abbott told him that it was his pleasure. Joel smiled and gave a brief description on the three as well as a warning about Vysel. He nodded in understanding and left Joel to his devices so he could begin his period of study. Joel took it all to heart. Everyday we would pray for strength and guidance in his studies. From there he would take five hours reading a text before summarizing it and taking a brief rest on his bed. Joel took two meals per day in his room. It was rare that he would be disturbed, but when he was it made him anxious and irritable as he was losing time he could be studying with. 

The month moved way too quickly for Joel’s liking. He had read all the books, but he felt as if he was lacking something. It settled in his soul uneasily. The abbot greeted him with a kind smile, but his face fell when he was able to study Joel’s. “Were you not successful in reading all the material I brought for you?” he asked after placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Joel shook his head and said “I did, but I still feel empty like I don’t know enough to please Agrella”. The abbot pulled him into an embrace and said he was ready. “There is no way to amass all knowledge in the world as a mortal. Agrella will appreciate your zeal and drive to learn. Come with me, I will administer the test right away”. Joel felt comforted and nodded as he followed him to a secluded place he had not been before.

The abbot asked him many questions on various topics. Joel was able to come to an acceptable answer for each question given enough time. Then the abbot asked him to think of solutions to riddles and puzzles. Joel was having a harder time on some of them rather than the others but eventually he solved them as well. He smiled at him and said “Young One, I am satisfied with your answers to my questions. Return to your room for the night. Pray for guidance and favor and them rest. You will need your full focus tomorrow”. Joel rose and thanked the abbot before slowly wandering to his room. He was ready for sleep, but he did make sure to send prayers of gratitude to Agrella. He had a sound sleep for the first time since his family had arrived. The next morning he woke up early and went to his brother’s room. Jeremy was half dressed as he opened the door. He was hugged and dragged in the room as soon as he was visible. “Joel, I missed you so much!” he said. Joel hugged back and they talked openly about how they were doing as Jeremy got dressed. 

There was a heavy knock on the door as master Orion opened the door. “Jeremy what is taking so-” he said before his eyes landed on Joel. He smiled at him warmly. “I’m glad to see you. It’s good to study, but if there is time, I’m going to test you to make sure your blade has not grown dull” he said. Joel nodded and said “Yes master! I need to see Abbott Brandon later today so I can’t stay long”. He left to retrieve his weapons when he ran into his mother. “Mother, I missed you so much” he said in her arms. She nodded and told him how proud she was of him. He invited her to accompany him to his spar. “I will dedicate my spar to you mother” he said and she laughed joyously. She followed him and watched as he dressed for his spar and equipped his swords and his new staff.

She decided to rouse Jane and she came down as well. In the training grounds, Jeremy was already training with Orion. After that, he decided to spar with him. His family cheered him on as he fought. It was nice but it was evident that he was a bit rusty. He lost the spar but it made him very happy to get to spend time with his master and family. It was like he was home in the monastery again. The abbot passed by and smiled at them. They all bowed their heads in his presence. It was time and he took Joel to the baths. He had him bathe and then anointed his body with sacred oils. When he was ready in light blue robes they moved to a small chapel in the castle. It was lit with candles and incense. It was a very holy atmosphere and Joel was in awe as he stepped inside.

Abbot Brandon stood in front of the altar and told Joel to kneel. “You’ve come this far. Now all that must happen is to determine if you are worthy for her” he said. Joel nodded and watched as the abbot added more incense and left the room. “Pray for guidance and listen very hard for her words” he left Joel alone in the chapel. Joel closed his eyes and prayed as hard as he could for her favor and guidance. After what felt like hours, Joel was exhausted and his eyes began to water. His lips began to quiver. He tried to keep his emotions in check but it was so hard when he wanted it so badly. “Please, give me your favor. I want it so badly. I want to make you proud of me. I beg you Agrella!” he cried out in pain as he slumped over. A tear shed from his eye as he brought himself back to his knees. He then felt a hand on his shoulder.

Joel felt a rush of warmth and peace run through his whole body. He knew who it was. He turned his head to look, but a sharp voice echoed in his head. “Don’t turn your head Joel. You are not worthy to be a cleric of mine. If you were to look, you would die” came the voice. It was like a sweet trumpet and he thought that it was the best voice he ever heard.. “Please! Agrella, I want to serve you and make you proud of me. Please give me your favor!” Joel begged. There was a brief period of silence. “It is not wise to invest in tainted goods. I have watched you since you had arrived in the monastery. I know your love for me is true. It is just that you were not called to be one of my clerics” she said. “You could call me now! I am ready for this. I-I studied so hard” Joel had balled his fists in his robes.

Agrella was quiet and the hand left his shoulder. “No! Please don’t leave me alone. What will I do without you!?” he begged. The hand returned to pat his head soothingly. Joel let out a shaky breath. “Joel, it is a human limitation. There is nothing wrong with not being able to channel my power. I will pay your love with a prophecy. You will have my favor to be the Court Chaplain, but not a cleric. You will do your work well. Then you will be betrayed and killed within the year” she said dispassionately. Joel shivered and started to whimper. “Agrella… please save me. I would do anything you ask of me” he begged. Agrella sighed in pity for him as he did his best to keep from crying. It made him feel even worse and empty. “Joel, take up your viel and go into deep mourning. You are not to speak of it to anyone. If you can save yourself, you may do your best to survive” she instructed.

It was too much for him. “Agrella, why won’t you save me!? You are the wisest of all the gods. If you wanted, I could be safe!” he yelled. The grip on his head tightened slightly and Joel quieted down right away. “Calm yourself. You are correct, but there is no value in doing it. You have made three contracts with demons. It is an insult to me that someone that loves me, a boy I had looked over as a Companion, was taken by demons” she said. More tears streamed down his face. “Joel, take heart and heed my words. If you are truly worthy to be one of mine, you can find a way”. Joel felt a bit of courage. “Be warned, if you speak of what I have told you, you will have my wrath instead of my favor” he said. Joel said “Please, before you leave me, tell me if I have pleased you”. He felt a kiss on the crown of his head.

He felt colder as he felt the presence leave him behind. Joel got up and wiped his face. He blew out all the candles and rushed out the chapel. He ran to his room and took up his viel. He meditated to try to calm himself down, but it was hard. He jumped into bed and his under his covers. He didn’t take any visitors for two days and took his meals in his room. On the third day, a cart of food was rolled into his room. Joel had on his viel and was at his desk reading over his notes. He was surprised when he felt arms wrap around him. “Joel, it’s Jeremy. Why have you gone into mourning?” he asked. Joel shuddered and leaned back into the comfort of his brother and stayed still. “I was so upset. Agrella spoke to me” Joel said facing forward. Jeremy hugged him tighter. “That sounds great. What did she say?” he asked.

Joel turned his head to get a look at his brother. Jeremy had concern on his face and had not dropped his arms. “She told me that I was not worthy to be her cleric. She allowed me to be the chaplain, but she gave me a bad omen” he said quietly. Jeremy said “There is really no shame in being an acolyte”. Joel nodded and told him that he was still scared. Jeremy gave him his full support and held his hand. “You can always rely on us from the monastery. We will assist you every step of the way” he encouraged. Joel spoke to him for the rest of the day. He tried to delay Jeremy from leaving. Eventually, Jeremy said “Come out and talk to Abbot Brandon. He will install you as an acolyte”. Joel stood still and then nodded. He was going to do his job and do what he needed to survive.

The intervention was successful and Jeremy left the room. Joel was interested in what became of the nagas. He walked to their room and entered the room. He was surprised to see that they were bound by the arms, tied together and unconscious. Joel rushed in and untied them. He roused Sargrin awake to figure out what happened. Sargrin slowly opened his eyes before jolting upright and hissing. Joel calmed him down and asked what had happened. “That damn cleric told us to go to our rooms. He left us in here for days. When Vysel complained to Percival about it, he and that master of yours came back. He was annoying and started casting magic that burned and stung. Then when we complained again later on, Orion told us to go to sleep until we were called for. You gave them power over us so we had no choice!” he seethed. Joel was unsure how to handle the situation.

He woke up the others and they reacted much the same way. “Joel, you have to avenge us on those men you like” Ralmen fumed. Varazin looked him in the eye and said “I’m going to eat them and there is nothing you can do to stop me”. Sargrin nodded his head and said “He is right. We’re really hungry right now. Let us eat them”. Joel shook his head and brought them closer. “I want to find you something to eat. Let’s see if there are any prisoners being held for you” he said. It didn’t make them budge even though he could hear Ralmen’s stomach growl loudly. He looked upset and said “We want you to avenge us before we go with you”. Joel sighed and said “I really care for you three. I don’t want to make you do something you don’t want to do. I will not let you attack my master or the abbot. Let’s find something for you all to eat”. Ralmen and Sargrin looked at each other and nodded.

Varazin glared at Joel. He was going to be difficult. “Ralmen and Sargrin, follow me. I’ll find you something to eat” Joel said. All three followed him out the room and Varazin flinched in pain as he crossed the doorframe. “What the hell did you do Joel!?” he yelled as he dove back into the room. Joel looked at him and said “If the abbot gave the order, you still have to follow it. I am back so they can’t give anymore though. I won’t risk their safety by allowing you loose in the castle. I trust Ralmen and Sargrin, so they can come out”. Varazin hissed and spit in rage, but he was still inside the room. Joel turned the others and said “Please show that I am not wrong for trusting you”. Sargrin looked at him and said “I won’t attack them, but I won’t pretend that I like them”. Ralmen nodded in agreement. Joel sighed accepting their answer and lead them down to the dungeon. Luckily, there were people marked for death.

After an hour, they were satisfied and well fed. Joel waited with the guards and they could see the faces on the prisoners as they heard the death screams of the unlucky men in the cells and sounds of flesh being torn apart. Joel and the guards were concerned about the sounds as well if the pale faces some of them had. Joel apologized to them for it. The captain laughed and waved him off. “I’ve never seen them so behaved since they showed up. That red one though, he’s the worst. He tortures them before he eats them” he said joyfully. Eventually they returned and there was viscera and blood on the corners of their mouths. Joel grabbed clothes and gave them to the nagas and told them to clean themselves. They looked happier and healthier than when he found them.

He got them back to their room and looked at Varazin. “I want you to eat. Come with me or I’ll make you” he said coldly to him. Varazin defiantly turned his head away. Joel sighed “If you stopped fighting me, we could have a better time” He muttered “I’ll never accept you as better than me”. Joel commanded him to follow him and they made another trip to the dungeon. He followed and ate a prisoner. Joel decided to check on him. He had finished eating the person and was smiling to himself. Joel offered the cloth and Varazin scoffed. “I’m not done. I’ll eat another one”. Joel pointed him the the last one scheduled to die the next day. “Are you really still hungry? I don’t think you could eat another one”. He smirked and said “Watch me”. In the cell, he stunned the man. Joel turned to leave, when he heard the naga yell at him. “I said to watch me! Don’t you dare leave” he said.

Satisfied that he had an audience, Varazin turned back to the man and smiled. “I’m angry right now, so I won’t glamor you” he said mockingly. Joel sighed and asked if it was necessary. The naga visibly bristled as he turned around. “I’ll feed the way I want Joel. Be quiet!” he glared. Joel stared and said “Glamor him now and keep him glamored the whole time”. Varazin hissed and slithered out of the cell. “I’m not hungry anymore” he said as he headed for the exit to the torch lit entrance to the dungeon. He was about to leave when the man grabbed his shirt and thanked him with tears in his eyes. Joel had his viel on, so he could could not see the expression on his face. “If you are truly grateful, pray to Agrella for wisdom and grace. You were already marked for death. Use the time you have left to improve yourself”. The man went quiet and went to the wall without a word and sat.

There was nothing more to say. As he walked away, a shiver ran down Joel’s spine. He was in much the same position. If he couldn’t figure out a way to survive, he would die in less than a year. He quickened his pace and caught up to the red naga. On their way back, Joel was lost in thought when Varazin began to hiss out loud. Joel looked up in confusion before blinking in surprise. “Master, Learned One! Good afternoon” he said with a smile. Varazin was coiled in an offensive stance. Orion Graped the hilt of his sword and the abbot stood calmly. He looked peacefully at Joel, but never lost focus on Varazin. “You put us to sleep and tied us up. We could have died!” the naga spat. Orion snorted and said “No one cares what you have to say, filthy snake!”. The abbot smiled and asked what Joel was doing. “I’ve been neglecting my duties in protecting my prisoners. I needed to feed them” he said.

Orion put his hands to his sides and said “Have you been thinking on whether you will take your place in as the chaplain? We heard from Jeremy that you had some doubts. Seeing you now, I want to help you succeed. If you need anything, we are here for you”. Joel was truly touched and smiled behind his viel. “Master, thank you! You are the reason I’m here today, I really need people I can trust around me”. Orion was going to respond when Varazin grabbed his arms and pulled him back. “Fuck that! I don’t care what any of you want. Joel is my prey and no one will stop me from killing him” he hissed. The three of them paid him no mind as they continued their conversation. Varazin understood and pushed Joel forward. “I’m going ahead” he yelled as he slithered off. 

Joel looked at him as he left and turned back to Abbot Brandon and Orion. He was surprised when he saw they were doing the same. “Joel, I’ll say this only once. When you take a prisoner, you need to show restraint, not compassion. Do not ever let affection cloud your judgement or you will fail” Orion said, still watching the naga go off in the distance. Joel took the advice to heart and said “Master, thank you for your care. Please stay by my side forever”. Orion laughed and said “Stay here forever? I think the monastery is the place I belong. I’ll be returning after you take your place as the Court Chaplain”. The abbot looked deeply at Joel. Joel didn’t meet his eyes and focused instead of his own feet. “Young One, what is your decision? Will you become an acolyte of Agrella?” he asked in a low voice. Joel looked up at him and made his decision. “Please Learned One, I want to be the chaplain” he said in a clear voice. His master and the abbot smiled at him and led him away.

After a week of preparation and fasting, Joel was raised as an acolyte of Agrella and the first person not a cleric to be named Court Chaplain. There was a great feast in his honor and he was able to enjoy himself. Joel was almost able to forget the prophecy he was given. He had many new duties that would keep him busy for the foreseeable future. Jeremy seemed a natural choice to be his assistant and it pleased him to see his family happy for him. He still made sure his nagas were well fed and behaving themselves. As he was retiring to bed from the feast he heard the voice of Abbot Brandon. He smiled and said “Wise One, I am proud of you. I watched over you since you were born, and you have met every expectation”. Joel was happy and pleased when he was referred to as wise by the man who had taught him. The terms of respect in their faith varied from the status of the person. To be called wise was a recognition of religious affiliation to other gods or junior status between clerics and acolytes of similar rank. Learned was reserved for those in high positions of authority like the Abbot. 

Abbot Brandon placed his hand on his shoulder and said “Joel, If you truly want to achieve the highest respect, even as an acolyte, you must create a Magnum Opus. Then no one would be in a position to slight or challenge you”. Joel was blown away at the vote of confidence. The very highest rank of those that followed Agrella was the Scholar. A Magnum Opus was the definitive manifestation of their extensive knowledge on a certain topic. There were only three still living, due to the rigorous and prestigious task obtaining the rank obtained. Joel could only look shocked at the abbot. “Thank you so much for everything you have done for me and my family over the years. We’re ever grateful to you” he said as he went to kneel, but was stopped. “Rise up. You are now the religious advisor to the king. There is no need to kneel before anyone” he said kindly.


	9. Chapter 9

Joel nodded and went on his way to his room. He sent quick prayers to his goddess and then fell asleep. Joel had his suspicions before but it was clear that the king and court were not too religious. He would give advice and officiate some weddings but there was really no reason his title needed to exist other than he was a Companion. As he was eating lunch outside with his family, he was approached by the Master Blacksmith. His name was Farlan and he had been in his job for over a decade. His family came from a clan on marvelous metal workers. Farlan smiled and said “Chaplain, you do know of the festival coming up soon right?” Joel frowned and shook his head. Farlan frowned back as no one seemed to know. His mother looked up suddenly and said “It is the Festival of the New Dawn! My, I haven’t celebrated it since before I went to the monastery. I was just a girl then. I never thought I’d see the day again”. She smiled fondly as the memories came back to her and she explained it.

The Festival of the New Dawn marked the day the founder of the current ruling dynasty took the throne. It was a day of amusement and music as the king was an aspiring poet. Farlan agreed and said “Lady Cassandra, it is so pleasant to have a lady with such knowledge in court. I was wondering if I could speak with your son in private”. She looked to him and Joel nodded and followed him a safe distance away from where they were eating. “Members of the court try to impress the king with a new gift for the festival. Seeing as we have just defeated the Demon Lord, it will be a very special festival as well. My family had a legend of an ancestor who forged a demon blade from its blood that allowed him to lead the clan to glory on the battlefield. I think my sons and I are up to the task”. Joel nodded in curiosity. He had heard tales of holy weapons granted by the gods to enact works of wonder and free people. 

He wanted to see if it could be done. I will ask to see if this there is an interest in helping you do this from the prisoners. I will meet you at the forge tomorrow with the answer. Farlan rubbed his bearded chin and mumbled a thanks before turning and leaving. Joel returned to his family to finish his lunch. Later in that day, he was surprised when he found all four demons together with Percival in his room. Percival was asking them questions and the nagas looked uncomfortable from the way they positioned themselves away from him. “Welcome to my room Joel. What brings you here today?” he asked as Joel entered. Joel looked around the room and explained about the festival and what Farlan wanted. “Would you like to assist the blacksmith”. All four demons stared blankly at him and refused. “Why would I give my blood up for a human I don’t even know?” Varazin asked. “I don’t know if I want the king to have a weapon infused with my blood” Ralmen added. Varazin scoffed and said “You have some nerve even asking to take blood from us. We owe you nothing!”. 

ysel was also not going to cooperate. “I came to you multiple times when I was hungry Joel and you sent me away. You can see how it feels” he said dismissively. Joel sighed and told them he would send the message along. “Wait! Why are you not upset?” Vysel asked as Joel was about to leave. “It was never my idea to force you. I told him I would see if you wanted to do it and you all said no. I was curious but it doesn’t make me upset. I value you all very highly and that’s why I asked” was Joel’s reply. Percival nodded his head. “That is true. Vysel, you’re going to give up some blood. I’m also curious to see the effects a demon’s blood could have” he said to Vysel. The incubus growled as he turned to him and said “Joel asked me already and I said no. What didn’t you understand?”. Percival looked cooly at him and said “He asked because he is Joel. He was not lying to you. He does care about your opinion. I don’t. And since you have a contract with me, I am telling you to give up some blood”.

Percival was dead serious about it. Vysel walked over slowly and leaned his face close enough to his their noses almost touched. “Tonight, I am going to drain you so hard for this. Just watch” the incubus growled low in his throat. Percival was not scared in the slightest. Instead, he just grabbed the incubus closer to him and rubbed his thigh. His core was there and he moaned in pleasure before glaring at him and pulling away. He turned to Joel and told him to pass along the message to the blacksmith. Joel turned and left for the forge. He got a great response from Farlan and his two sons. They pulled him into a tight group hug. Joel told them that he and Percival were most likely going to be stopping in to watch from time to time as the sword was being made. When he went back to Percival’s room, he was the only one there. Joel told him that they would be expected the next day. “Joel, would you please sit down with me for a moment” Percival said, offering the chair Vysel had been in previously.

Joel thanked his host and sat down. “I might need your blood for a magical experiment I will be conducting. Would you give me a vial?” Joel asked what he was planning to experiment for. He got a wry smile from the necromancer who said “You don’t trust me? We have a large adventure together as Companions after all. You also helped me tame Vysel”. Joel smiled sadly back and said “Trust is not something I can afford at the moment for anyone. Please at least let me know if this magic could backfire and harm me”. There was quiet before a bit of laughter came from his friend. Joel asked what was so funny. He calmed down and truly smiled wide before saying “As a necromancer, I know that I am not someone who garners trust easily. Adding to the fact that I am also a foreigner, and you can see why no one tends to visit me. You on the other hand never looked at me with scorn. Even now, you were more concerned with your health than the magic itself”. Joel told him that he knew he wasn’t evil.

Percival nodded before standing up. He said “Joel, we are friends for a reason. I can swear to you on all the gods that no harm will come to you as a result of the magic. It might even save you in an emergency”. Joel thought about it before nodding. If he couldn’t trust his friends and family, he would always be alone and miserable. He embraced Percival and went to his room for the night. The next day, Percival, Vysel, and Joel met together in the morning before going to the forge. Joel and Vysel gave a sample of blood to Percival and he placed them both in his pocket. From there, they made their way over to meet Farlan. They were able to find Farlan and his two sons, Desmond and Diamond. Apparently, he had another son that was working in a forge in another major city. Vysel narrowed his eyes and walked up to each of them in turn. He walked around them and smelled them before smiling. “This is really interesting. These humans have demon blood running in their veins. It’s very faint- almost gone in the kid- but it’s there”. The three beamed in pride. “The legend was true then, father” Diamond said gleefully. Farlan laughed and slapped him on the back. “I told you! Why would I lie to you?” he said with pure pride as the Companions and Vysel looked on.

Farlan cleared his throat with a cough. “We’re planning to melt down this old greatsword I made years ago that no one bought and make two swords from it. If we used Demon’s blood and pay close attention to the swords we can have some mastercraft swords to present the king and our hero Prince Gregory” he said. Vysel stood in front of him and pressed his body against Farlan in a seductive way. “You said you wanted blood. I can give you all the blood you need if you make a deal with me”. Farlan looked nervous as he asked what it would cost him. “Give me one of your sons. You have two of them” Vysel purred. Farlan gently but firmly pushed him away. “Why do you even want them?” he said. Vysel smiled and said it was none of his business what he would do. “Are you really considering this!?” Joel spoke up astonished. Percival placed an arm on his shoulder. “Let him decide for himself. It’s an easy choice” he said.

Joel looked at the blacksmith with true disdain. He kept quiet like he was told. Farlan looked between the incubus and his sons. After a moment, even Desmond and Diamond looked concerned. He crouched down in front of his youngest son and hugged him. “Diamond, I’m so sorry. I need this to bring this glory back to the clan. We’re so close right now” Diamond’s eyes widened and he began to cry and clung to his shirt. Desmond tried to shield him from Farlan and begged him to not give his brother away. Farlan had tears beginning to form and he started to tremble. He turned back to Vysel and nodded. Vysel smiled widely showing his sharp teeth and mocked him saying “I want you to say it out loud”. A glowing pink circle opened up under the both of them and Farlan gasped in surprise. He looked down and asked what was going on. Vysel smiled at him again and said “Let’s make a contract”. 

Farlan didn’t meet his eyes and stayed quiet. Vysel stopped smiling and leaned forward. “Why aren’t you saying anything?” he asked angrily. There was only more silence from the man. The incubus looked concerned and said “I can’t make you say it. Just tell me what you want already”. He raised his head and nodded. “Please don’t do it! I don’t want to go!” was the plea from Diamond outside the circle. Farlan looked at his children and took a step toward them as his face softened. Vysel grabbed his arm and said “What about your clan, Farlan? Nobody believes you can do it. They don’t even believe in your demonic ancestry. You need my blood right? Stop hesitating and tell me what you want!” he yelled. Farlan turned back to him and sobbed. “Please. Give me your blood. I need it”. The demon sneered and asked what he was going to get in return. Farlan said “Diamond, my son” with his face lowered in shame. Vysel sighed and said “We have a contract now”.

Diamond howled in sadness as the circle dissipated. Desmond was also in tears as he held his brother in his arms. Joel saw that thick pink vine-like markings began wrapping around his pale throat. Diamond reached his hands to his throat as he began to make pained noises. He was moved to pity for him and rushed to his side. “You need to calm down and breathe slowly. If it hurts, we can massage it for you so you can relax your throat”. Joel began to massage his neck and allowed Desmond to see how to do it. Farlan glared at Vysel and said “Give me the blood I need already”. Vysel scoffed and turned to Percival. Percival nodded and pulled a flask from his hip and handed it the confused blacksmith. “What is this?” he asked as he took it. “It’s filled with my blood. It really hurt to allow my wounds to stay open and bleed. Percival had to really satisfy me afterwards” Vysel said.

Farlan’s hand began to shake. “You already gave up your… blood? Why did you make me give up my son then!?” he yelled angrily. Joel spoke up and said “You’re horrible. How could you sell your own child to a demon?”. Farlan turned to him and pointed to him. “You both made contracts too!” he said. Percival shook his head. He said “We made contracts with demons we defeated in combat. In exchange for protection, they must obey us. We would never sell our own families or our souls to them. You made the choice. Live with it. We’re leaving now”. Vysel walked over to his new slave until Farlan blocked his path. “If you don’t let me take him right now, it will break the contract. He’ll die” he explained. Farlan stepped aside, but glared at him. “I swear to every god I’ll kill you” he whispered as Vysel began to drag Diamond away. Vysel just laughed at him and left with the boy. Joel and Percival followed him. 

They went back directly to Percival’s room. Vysel sat down on his bed and dragged Diamond on his lap. He looked very pleased as he rubbed the boys arms and sides. “You’re mine now” he said before chuckling out loud. Diamond put on a brave face and stood up. “What are you going to do to me?” he demanded. Vysel reached out to grab his hips and pull him back. He rubbed his legs and began to coo. “I am an incubus. I feed on human sexual energy. I’m going to corrupt your body so much no one else will be able to satisfy you. Soon, I will make you climax with only a finger on the top of your head”. Diamond tried to get up again, but he was held still on Vysel’s lap. “You can also pray to me. I’ve heard that human prayer makes you stronger. You can even become a god”. Diamond squirmed to get free but he couldn’t. “I’ll be nice and let you choose how we start. I could take your manhood in me and make sure you’ll never be satisfied by women or you can take mine and you’ll never be able to reach pleasure without me” Vysel said imperiously.

Diamond shook his head and tried squirming more. “Diamond, stop moving around. You’re only making me hungrier” the incubus warned him. The boy stopped immediately and began to tear up again. Vysel frowned and began to hug him. “Listen Diamond, I really want you to love and pray to me. I guess we can start with just kissing” he said. Diamond shook his head and said “Let me go!”. Vysel snarled “Don’t test me! I haven’t even used my glamor on you. If I wanted, you would be moaning under me right now”. Joel had enough and said “Maybe you should wait for him to get used to his new life first”. Vysel smiled at him and nodded. He allowed Diamond to sit on the bed. He walked to Joel who was sitting in a chair and sat in his lap. “Maybe we should kiss to show him how it is. I won’t take too much energy from you” he said with a coy smile. Joel thought that Vysel’s plump bottom felt nice on his lap. He also liked the sparkle in his eyes that made him look cuter than before.

Joel blinked and shook his head. He realized that those thoughts were not his own. Vysel was leaning in for the kiss. Joel covered the incubus’s mouth and gently pushed him away. “You can put thoughts in people’s heads. Don’t do it to me anymore”. Vysel snarled and pressed his forehead to Joel’s. “We talked about this already. I just want a kiss from you. I need to feed Joel” he whispered harshly. Joel sighed and said “We did talk about this. I understand that as a demon, you have needs and instincts that you act on. I also know that my soul is very enticing for you so you are drawn to feed off of me. I understand that, but I still don’t want you to feed on me”. Vysel growled and looked like he was going to do something when Percival came up from behind him and started pinching his nipples. Vysel moaned and said “Stop protecting him from me. One day he’ll be squirming under me as I deflower him”. 

Percival said “Let them go for now, I still need your blood for my magic and experiments”. He ran his hand along his side and Vysel seemed to calm down. Joel got Diamond out of the room and he ran down the hall. Joel sighed and went about his duties as the chaplain. He spoke to various members of the court and attended to their spiritual needs. He gave advice to the king about how to cure stress. After that he went to the chapel to pray and wait for anyone to visit him. Ralmen was outside the chapel looking for him. As Joel got closer, the naga tilted his head to him and he looked pretty confused. He expecting him to be in the chapel. Ralmen slithered over and smiled at him. “Joel, we want you to groom us today with the combs you bought. Can you do it now?” he asked. Joel had thought a moment before nodding.

Ralmen was smiling from ear to ear as he lead him to the nagas’ room. All three of them wanted him to comb their hair and massage them for the evening. Joel decided to start with Ralmen. he had him lay down across the bed and he combed his hair. His hair was soft but extremely rough to the touch. Ralmen was enjoying himself. His tongue was lolling out in pleasure. Joel wanted to see how far his relationship had gotten with the nagas. As he was combing his hair, he quietly straddled Ralmen’s back. His tail swished uncomfortably on the ground and he tensed up. He looked pleadingly up at Joel as he whimpered on the bed. “Joel. Can you please… let me go?” he asked. Joel nodded and got off of him. He decided to move on to Sargrin. The brown scaled naga looked at him skeptically and handed over his comb. Joel took it and began his work. He soon began to straddle his back as well. Sargrin looked pretty uncomfortable as well. His tail audibly scraped along the floor.

Sargrin pleaded with Joel using his eyes. “Hey, Joel. I... want you to get off of me”. Joel nodded and got off him. He looked relieved and moved over to Ralmen. Varazin roughly shoved his comb into Joel’s chest and glared at him. Joel looked at him cooly and didn’t move. “Comb my hair already” he demanded. Joel smirked and started to work. Varazin was smiling, pleased at the grooming. Joel straddled his back and he immediately tried to buck him off. Joel told him to stay still. “Get off me!” he hissed. Joel shook his head. “Varazin, I’ve been way too patient with you. I keep trying to make peace with you, but you won’t stop threatening me and others around you. I’m going to stay on top of you until you apologize and promise to be nicer” he said as he looked the naga in the eye. “Never! You’re a coward, Joel. You don’t want to fight me, but you think you can just dominate me like this. I’ll never not hate you. One day, I’m going to sink my fangs into your throat and kill you”. 

The other two nagas looked concerned. “Joel, you’re really kind. You don’t really want to break him” Ralmen said as he put his hand on my arm. Sargrin tried to reason with his nestmate on the bed struggling under Joel. “C’mon Varazin. Joel is pretty lenient. Look at the comb he gave us. Remember the massage that felt really good. We couldn’t beat him because we were minor demons and he is a Companion. He doesn’t shame or oppress us for it” he said. Varazin sneered at him and said “I don’t care! Look at what happened to you two. The both of you were being dominated just like me. You just about gave up. If he wanted, you would be his slaves”. It was not entirely false. Joel was seeing how far he had come along in taming them. The three of them were in his control. It was clear to Joel that the three of them were still evil, although Ralmen and Sargrin were well behaved. They all relished in eating people and would say the most horrible things in private conversations. However, he was still able to foster a deep relationship with Sargrin and Ralmen in the time since he forged the contract. 

Joel decided to start massaging his back after running a finger along the spine. Varazin’s red tail jumped up in surprise as he gasped out loud. “Stop it! I’m not going to break just because you rub me a little”. Joel didn’t say anything else. He threw himself into his work and soon Varazin began moaning. Joel continued onwards and moved on to his neck and ear. He was panting hard and straining against the bed under the monk. “Stop… we all know you are doing. You just want to mate” he chuckled and looked at him between all the panting. Joel smiled at him and said “I don’t think that is what is going on here. I already told you I took a vow of chastity. Maybe you are the one that wants to mate with someone”. Varazin blushed a furious gray. Joel noticed it as he continued the massage. “I won’t let you break me. If you think you can dominate me, let me fight back. There’s no way I could lose to someone like you”. Sargrin looked very angry at him. He grabbed Varazin’s face and harshly said “I can smell it. Just give up already! Joel is going to forgive you. You’re being really annoying! I’m not going to follow a whiny leader if you keep this shit up!”. 

Varazin turned to Joel and looked into his eyes. Joel could see the emotion in his eyes and that he was on the verge of tears. Joel softened on him and slowly got off his back. “Stop threatening me and we don’t have to do this ever again” he said softly. Varazin looked down in defeat. Joel left the room and went to sleep. The next morning he woke up early and went to the chapel to pray. As he opened the door, Jeremy and Diamond approached the chapel from opposite ends of the hallway. Joel let them in and greeted them. Jeremy was ready to assist Joel in the morning prayers and attending to the spiritual needs of the court. Diamond was just in the area and was still running away from Vysel. Joel was sympathetic and told him he could rest in the chapel as long as he wanted. “You fought the Demon Lord and beat him, right? Why don’t you just kill him?” Joel said “He is Percival’s prisoner, just like the nagas are mine. They are still evil and you should avoid them if you can. I wanted to stop your father, but Percival wanted to see what he would do. I am so sorry”. 

Diamond glared at both of them and stomped away to the pew and laid down to rest. Jeremy looked very disappointed in his older brother. Joel was also upset that he couldn’t help him more as well. It was time to begin prayers and let in those that also wanted to worship. There was not much appreciation for Agrella in court. Most of them just wanted to talk to them for advice or conformation on things they were already planning to do. It was pretty nice to form relations with the other people in the castle. Jeremy and Joel were really good at listening with people. After a few hours they saw Diamond toss and turn violently in his sleep. Joel went over to see what was happening. The mark around his throat was glowing and suddenly his eyes snapped open. It certainly startled him. Diamond’s eyes were not focused he muttering to himself. “...Stop. I don’t want to go. Vysel- No!” he said and then he went rigid. What was really concerning was that his eyes were now also pink.

Diamond slowly stood up and started to shuffle his feet to the door. Joel called out for him, but he did not respond. Joel rushed behind him and struck him in the back of the neck. Diamond fell in a heap. Joel sighed and carried him back to the pew. The glowing mark on his neck faded and Joel got rope and bound him to the pew. Jeremy came up to him and asked what was going on. “He was being controlled by Vysel. He didn’t want to go to him. I made sure that he won’t be able to be controlled again when we are not looking”. Jeremy shook his head as he looked at the boy before he went back to the nobles he was talking to. Joel also went back and continued his work in the chapel. A couple of hours and several nobles later, Joel and Jeremy were very much enjoying a break from talking to people. That was when they heard a loud banging on the doors. It was easy to see that it was Vysel by the way he was yelling. “Give him to me! You can’t keep him from me. Diamond is mine!” he screamed in anger.

Jeremy angrily threw the doors open and yelled “Be quiet demon! This is a holy space. Diamond is here and you can’t have him. He is sleeping right now!”. Vysel growled loudly at him and looked in the chapel in order to find Diamond. He couldn’t and he looked concerned. “Where is he!? I sense him in here!” he said glaring at Joel. Joel asked “If you don’t believe us, why don’t you come in and look for him?”. Vysel looked scared. “Please… I can’t go inside. It will hurt me really bad” he said in a softer voice. Joel looked at him and calmly said “Vysel, you are scaring him. If you want him to come to you you can’t take over his mind. If you can agree to that simple request, Diamond might grow to trust you” he said. Vysel scoffed and said “Give him to me right now”. Diamond called out and screamed “Don’t let him take me!”. Jeremy smirked and gestured to him. “See? Now go away demon! Joel might be soft hearted to you, but I’m not going to let you steal someone that came to me for help. I’ll save them”. Joel took offense and said “So would I, you know”.

Vysel stomped away in anger. “I’ll get you both for this!” he yelled as he ran down the hall. It was a bit concerning to say the least. Jeremy sneered and said “We need to figure out how to protect him” he said. Joel nodded and asked what he had in mind. “I will protect him and keep him in my care” he said. Joel thought it was a really great idea. “Thank you, I will leave it to you then” he said. Jeremy nodded his head and waited for an opportunity to bring food and blankets. He untied Diamond and told him that he was safe. At the end of the day, Jeremy took Diamond with him. Jeremy decided not to tell Joel much on his plans. “I want to make sure no one finds out what I’m doing. Your prisoners might tell that demon and steal him away”. Joel let the slight go and went on his way. This had gone on for a week and it seemed to be working. They would come to the chapel in the morning, do the duties expected of Jeremy, and leave together in the evenings. 

The king held court and everyone with status was allowed to attend as well. Joel brought the nagas and Percival allowed Vysel to sit in his lap. There were some disgruntled soldiers standing at attention next to the Court Martial. Jeremy and Diamond were in the chapel. The king called the court to order and allowed the chancellor to begin. Things were of standard procedure in the beginning. The chancellor reported the state of the realm and the state of diplomatic relations abroad. Percival talked about the experiments and magic he was conducting in the secret labs of the castle. It was really disturbing, but no one would dare denounce a Companion. The steward talked glowingly about the budget and the surplus in the coffers. The martial was next and he began with the numbers of troops he was able to recruit since the last meeting. There was nothing more to report on the army as there was peace in the realm. Then he ceded the rest of his time to the soldiers at his side. They were all young knights that were well respected by the rest of the court. There was a cavalryman, an archer and a heavy infantry knight. They were only a couple of years older than Joel. It appeared that the nagas had visited the training grounds when the knights were training when they loudly argued. They were saying that the different regiments of the army were more cowardly.

Obviously, all the knights were outraged and furious at them. “The knights have decided to elect the greatest among them in order to issue their challenge. They have proposed a duel for honor in front of the knights and nobles of the realm” the martial said. Joel looked angrily at the nagas and asked them what happened. “We were very bored. We were looking for something to do when we found the knights doing their training. I just thought that it was cowardly to not engage in close combat” Ralmen explained to the angry cries of the knights. Sargrin smiled and said “I disagreed and said the man with all the armor on was the most cowardly. He’s scared of getting a scratch on him”. Joel glared at him and he shrunk back. Varazin was too bold to be shamed and said “At least they fight on their own. Calvary need to ride on another animal”. The knights were absolutely seething. Joel took a moment to think. “I am their guardian, so I apologize for their rowdiness” he said. The martial smiled shrewdly and said “While that does help our pride, the other knights would still be... upset”.

Joel thought of an idea. “My lords and ladies, I think there is a solution to this problem. There is a festival coming up. I think this will be the best venue for the duel. Lots of people can witness this match. I will be their second and they will accept the challenge using training weapons during the duel”. Percival endorsed the idea and the martial decided not to protest. Brittany offered her service to train the nagas in the use of martial weapons. We all looked at the king to give the final decision. He tried to look uninterested, but the was a sparkle in his eyes. He gave a nod and everyone murmured their excitement. Joel looked at his prisoners and saw they were not backing down. The rest of the meeting was boring with nothing of note. After they were dismissed, they glared at the nagas before they filed out. They hissed back in response. “I’ll leave you in the care and instruction of Brittany. Listen to her. You have a week to learn what the knights have done their whole lives”. They nodded as he left for the chapel. They were praying and Joel waited for them to finish. “Did you do something about Diamond and that demon?” his brother asked. “Was I supposed to?” he responded.

Jeremy sighed furiously. “What are we going to do about this then?” he demanded. Joel looked at them and said “Diamond does belong to him. He was given up by his father. I can’t just take him”. Jeremey glared at him and asked why not. “Vysel is protected by a Companion and I had already agreed that I have no authority to punish him. I could try and bargain with him but I know that he would want to lay with me. I can’t do that” Joel said as he slumped into a pew. Jeremy balled his fist and looked around him. “You went off when Father died to kill the Demon Lord to stop his evil. How is it that none of you can even stop a demon from stealing a child from his father?” he lamented. Joel placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. He sneered at his brother and said “If you won’t do something, I will!” Joel caught his arm and pleaded with his eyes. “I won’t allow you to offer your body to a demon” he said. Jeremy scoffed and demanded a better plan from him. “I think I have one. Challenge him to a duel. The nagas had offended knights and now they are going to fight. I don’t know if he would accept or what terms he would demand from you, but it might work”. Jeremy nodded and left the chapel. 

Diamond said nothing, but looked at him accusingly. Joel had nothing to say and began his own prayers. Jeremy came back an hour later and looked pretty nervous. Joel stood up and rushed to him. He looked over his brother for any wounds. He didn’t look hurt at all. “I challenged him to a duel like you suggested. We will fight at the festival” he said before he shivered. Joel asked what Vysel wanted. “My soul. If I lose he will eat my soul. It was terrifying. You really had to face down hundreds of them?”. Joel pulled him in for a long hug. “I will take care of Diamond. You need to train and talk with Mother and Jane” he said. Jeremy nodded and walked off. Diamond looked at him again, but this time it was hard to determine his expression. “You should thank him the next time you see him. He is putting his life and soul on the line for you” Joel said. He simply nodded his head as he watched Jeremy leave. 

Joel also had been neglecting his mother and sister. He decided to visit his mother after he was done with securing Diamond. He pulled him to the nagas’ room and told Ralmen and Sargrin to watch him and not let Vysel take him. From there, he made his way to his mother’s room. As he approached her room he heard arguing. The door flung open and the martial walked out. He saw Joel and his eyes widened a bit. He didn’t say a word and walked by him briskly. Cassandra called out to him and Joel entered the room. He closed the door behind him and asked what happened. “Lord Cleve was just trying to figure out how to have my hand in marriage. I may not have the level of schooling that you had, but I still know when a man is interested in me” was the response. Joel felt his cheeks get hot. Cassandra laughed and said “Don’t worry. I love your father way too much to marry again”. Joel was relieved and spent time with her. “I might not marry, but Jane is already of age. She already has a suitor- I think his name was...Walter”. Joel recognized him as the knight who was the archer.

After an hour of sharing stories and laughs, he held his mother’s hand in his and looked her in the eyes. She looked confused and asked what was wrong. Joel needed to tell her about what was happening. He took a deep breath and told her what happened in the last week. She narrowed her eyes more and more as time went on. She was clearly furious. “Why didn’t you do anything to stop him!?” she screamed. Joel had no defense except for Diamond. “I don’t care about a blacksmith’s son. I care about my two sons getting eaten by demons” she said as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Joel already knew better than to argue with her when she got into one of her moods. “I wanted to see you and let you know. I told him to tell you and Jane earlier today. He might actually be with her right now. If he can do this, he will be a hero in his own right. Make sure to spend a great deal of time with him and not get drawn into any fights until the festival” he instructed. She grunted at him as she led him out the door. She closed it a bit harder than necessary. 

It was getting late and Joel’s stomach began to rumble as he walked from his mother’s room to his own. He decided that it would be good to reward Sargrin and Ralmen for guarding Diamond and boost everyone’s morale for the upcoming duel. Joel decided to take his meal up to the nagas’ room and bring up a cart of pudding and mead. Sargrin and Ralmen really enjoyed it the last time. When the servants brought it to the door with his food he thanked them and gave them a few coins. They bowed to him and went away smiling. As Joel expected, as soon as Ralmen and Sargrin smelled the treats, they pushed their way up to him. “Are you going to give those to us to eat?” Ralmen asked excitedly. “Of course he is. He can’t eat all of it by himself” Sargrin said with a cocky smile on his face. Joel put his hand out to make them lean back. “This is for you, if you can tell me why I am giving it to you”. Sargrin was going to say his answer when Joel said “Think of the answer together. You only have one chance”. That made him pause. “Why do you think he’s giving us this, Ralmen?” he asked. Ralmen looked at Joel and said “Joel is kind for a human. We must have done something good to deserve it” he said puzzled. “Taking the challenge might be it. It is honorable, I guess” Sargrin said. Varazin sighed and said “Didn’t he ask you to look after the child?”. 

They looked at each other for a while as they thought. Joel marveled at their naked desire for the sweets on the cart. “So it is down to Joel’s kindness, accepting the duel from those humans, or watching over Diamond” Sargrin said out loud. Joel was sitting next to Diamond, already eating a fish stew for their dinner with ale. Ralmen said “Joel is too kind for his own good. Let’s go with helping look after that boy”. There was agreement between the nagas and they turned their heads to Joel. Joel smiled at them and told them they could eat and drink as much as they wanted as long as they shared it. They charged over to the cart and began scrambling for the first taste of the pudding and mead. They were having a good time from the laughter and smiling. “You’re not mad about the knights, are you?” Ralmen said with some pudding on the corner of his mouth. “Please try harder not to antagonize anyone while you play around the grounds of the castle” Joel had said in response.

Sargrin slithered on the opposite side of Joel than Diamond and grabbed his arm. Joel looked at him as he cuddled closer. “Joel, you have been in the chapel for so long, we are going to get bored without you” he said almost seductively. Joel rolled his eyes and pat him gently on the shoulder. “Spend more time with us Joel. Or we might do something... wrong” he said as looked him in the eyes. Joel was surprised that Sargrin was actually challenging him. “If you want me to spend more time with you, I could” he said after thinking. Sargrin looked surprised and smiled at him. Joel continued saying “I was given the idea to write a Magnum Opus. That is a collection of a scholar’s knowledge in one place. I am very interested in you four. I also travelled all the way to the Demon Country. I could compile all I have learned about you demons and study all of you closer. Would you like that? I could take time away from the chapel and allow my brother to take over while I am busy”.

He looked seriously at Joel before saying “I don’t think we want you poking us with sharp things to learn about us”. Joel nodded his head in understanding. “I would never hurt you three. I just want to look over your bodies”. Sargrin looked at the others. Predictably, Ralmen slowly nodded while Varazin scowled. Joel smiled and said “I will see the three of you tomorrow after your lesson with Brittany”. The next day he walked Diamond to the great hall for breakfast. After their meal they went to the training grounds. Brittany was helping them into their armor. They seemed out of their depth with the breastplate, helmet, pauldrons, and gauntlets. “Why do humans need all this to go into battle?” Ralmen asked distastefully. “The same reason you have such thick scales. You need protection from enemies on the battlefield” Brittany explained. Sargrin grunted and asked “This is way too heavy. Isn’t there anything lighter?”. Joel spoke up and said “There is lighter armor, but the knights, especially Sargrin’s opponent, are used to this and train to fight like this all day”. 

Everyone turned to him and looked surprised he was there so early. “I wear simple leather armor, but some of the weapons on the rack would tear right through it” he said pointing to the weapon rack two soldiers were guarding. “I want the leather armor, Those sticks won’t even hit me” Ralmen said. Joel looked to Brittany and she sighed. “That could be arranged for him if he feels so confident” she said. Joel looked at Sargrin and said “You have to wear the heavy armor for your own safety. Varazin, the calvary’s armor is lighter so they can still ride their horses, but there will still be an advantage of more protection”. Varazin took of his helmet and threw it to the ground. “Give me the leather. I’m getting burned alive in all this metal” he demanded. Brittany called for the soldiers to bring the weapon rack closer. Ralmen chose a glaive. Sargin smiled as he swung the longsword he picked around. Varazin pointed to a set of javelins. “What are these for?” he asked. Joel told him they were for throwing or melee.

They looked pleased with their choices. Brittany looked to Joel and asked if he was going to train with them. Joel declined the offer citing his responsibility to Diamond. She nodded and she pulled Varazin aside to train him personally. The other two soldiers walked up to the remaining nagas and showed them how to use their weapons. After an hour, Jeremy and Jane entered the training grounds. Joel greeted them with a smile. “I thought that I could train and get ready for the duel here. Should I come back later?” he asked, eyes sliding over to the nagas. “You have to train. Your soul is on the line. I need you to be on your best for the fight”. He nodded and Jane said “I still can’t believe that you have all sorts of strong Companions and the Hero, but you still can’t do anything about this”. She frowned at the nagas and Joel felt really bad. “Jeremy I will train with you. Jane, please stay with Diamond and don’t let him wander off” Joel said. “You all love to pass me around, don’t you?” Diamond accused.

Jane took him by the hand and led him to the stands. Joel picked two swords from the rack and allowed Jeremy to do the same. They trained hard so Joel could ensure that his younger brother would survive. They went on for three hours before they took a break. The nagas were also taking a break. Jeremy drank water and stretched out the soreness in his muscles. Joel walked over to see how the others were doing. Varazin had good accuracy with the javelins based on the targets at 30 yards. Sargrin’s form with the sword was a bit sloppy, but he had a lot of power behind his swings. Ralmen was doing his best to repeat all the stances with the glaive over and over. Joel was not sure if they could beat the knights, but he thought that they had a pretty good chance. He looked over to Jane and Diamond, and decided to join them in conversation. When he got there, they smiled at him as he sat there.

It was really nice spending time with Jane. Until they actually moved, she would stay cloistered in her room with their mother. It was because it was a monastery for men and the monks didn’t want any chance of a distraction or temptation. Joel and Jeremy would enjoy going to their room and playing games with her and telling her things. She was incredibly bright and would play tricks on the both of them. “Why do they need to train? Shouldn’t you just tell them to lose or just apologize to save time?” The idea had crossed his mind, but he shook his head. “If I did that, the knights would not be satisfied and try to attack them covertly. The best option would be to have a safe match and step in if it seems that someone will be hurt” he said. Jane looked like she did not agree, but she said “If you’re sure about this I’ll support you”. Joel was happy that she was on his side. She would help him in ways that would benefit him.

Joel paused and asked her about the knight that was courting her. She blushed and said “I was sure I kept it secret”. Joel told her that their mother told him. Jane rolled her eyes and said “That doesn’t matter. Sir Walter is nice and respectable. He is going to fight one of them during the festival”. Joel pointed out Ralmen and told him that he would be his opponent. “I know Sir Walter is respectable because he is a skilled knight. Do you think he is a good man? Is he treating you with respect, Jane?”. She sighed and said “I am not in love with him. That doesn’t mean that I would hate being married to him. We actually share an interest in flowers”. Joel nodded. If Jane was content, he would not interfere with her courtship. If she would be cared for even if he was no longer there, he could rest easier. With Jeremy finished with his break, Joel got up again to continue training with him.

The next week was spent similarly. Joel would take Diamond around for his morning duties and breakfast. He would then train with Jeremy in the afternoon while Jane came to watch. She challenged him to work on his accuracy with throwing knives. Surprisingly, she was an expert at it. Joel had much to learn from her. His accuracy did improve a substantial amount in the week’s time. In the evenings, he would study the demons intently. For this task, he received a fair bit of help from almost everyone he trusted. His mother, Jane, Percival, and Brittany ran their own tests and asked questions when Joel would focus at one at a time. Jeremy said that he wanted no part in the research and Joel doubted that Vysel would be fine with it either. From compiling the lesson he learned from Red as well as his own observations, he felt as if he was on the verge of a great breakthrough. It was a busy but fulfilling period of time, unlike the overwhelming pressure and anxiety he felt when he was studying to be an acolyte. 

Everyone else gave him new insights for his research as well based on their own individual interests. Brittany as a paladin was deeply interested in religion and gauged their responses to her religious symbol and prayers. They seemed to recoil from it greatly. However, it seemed that if a non cleric or paladin said prayers, it did not affect them. There was no way to figure out why that was without actually harming or killing them, so there were no answers to be found. Jane and their mother were curious about the anatomy of the demons. They borrowed a book on human anatomy from the Court Physician and used Joel, Jeremy, and Sir Walter as models to confirm what was in the books. From there they were able to model the anatomy of the demons by feeling their bodies with pressure to feel the bone structures and muscles. They determined that for their anatomy from the waist up was mostly the same. Vysel’s feet were slightly different as there were less bones in his feet and an extra bone serving as a brace in his legs. The nagas did not have legs at all. 

Percival of course was interested in magic. He had already made independent studies of his own using the demon cores he still had in his possession. It seemed that even demons that were killed could be resurrected by infusing energy or magic into the core. He also wanted to see if the blood and cores of demons would serve as a catalyst for his necromancy. “It was quite interesting. The blood was an accelerant, but the core themselves were catalysts. This would save a lot of money and resources to use the core. I did notice that the cores I used granted less and less each time” he said. Joel took this seriously. He was interested in the demons as individuals and their physiology. They were pretty open with answering Joel’s questions. They didn’t need to use the privy, no matter what they ate. It was also apparent that they could mate at any time they chose. “There’s no point unless you’re a greater demon or caught by one as a mate. More mouths to feed would slow you down and the weaker the demon, the weaker the spawn” Sargrin explained.


	10. Chapter 10

Eventually time moved forward to the day of the duel. It was scheduled for the second day of the festival. Everyone wanted to see the tamed demons that resided in the court. The royal box was filled with the king, Gregory, and their family. On the opposite box was Percival, Brittany, and the other notable member of the king’s council. On the field was the Master of Ceremony who was doing a great job riling up the excitement of the crowd, the martial, Joel, Sir Walter, and Ralmen before a full arena. The martial and Joel inspected the weapons their fighter were using and then exchanged them to make sure they was no foul play. It was already decided by the king that they would be using real weapons instead of the ones used for training. Joel brought the quiver and his short sword over so that he could inspect it with Ralmen. Ralmen touched the tips and recoiled in pain. Joel inspected his finger and saw a burn mark. “They must have dipped these in something holy!” he hissed angrily. “Do you want to continue with the match. The arrows don’t seem sharp enough to puncture the armor. I think it would be okay if you can close the distance”. 

Joel unsheathed the sword and Ralmen flinched. The sword was blessed. Joel then turned to denounce the martial for his tricks, when Ralmen grabbed his arm. “I’m not going to let this beat me. I’m going to eat them both for this!” he said darkly. “Ralmen listen to me, you are forbidden from killing either of them. You can you your powers in this fight to even the fight. I want you to do your best. Let him go when he surrenders” Joel whispered in his ear. Ralmen smiled from ear to ear hearing that. “Thank you” he said as he waited for Joel to return his glaive. As Joel met the martial in the middle, the Master of Ceremony whispered to them. “His Highness has, in his wisdom, decided the stakes should be raised. Name the stakes for losing and it shall be binding in front of the audience” he said. The martial thought for a moment before he chuckled to himself and said “If those any of those demons win, I’ll knight them myself!”. Joel smiled and said “If they lose they will be the squires of the victors and will have to do whatever they say until the knights are satisfied”. 

The Master of Ceremony smiled and announced it to the crowd. The audience was stunned into a hush. There was a slight murmur and whisper leaned into a neighbor’s ear, but they were all ready to see how it would play out. Joel wondered what the implications of knighting demons would be. He explained what being knighted meant as he returned his glaive. He still looked confused as he slithered over to his end of the arena. That was not something to worry over as he sat with the martial and the host. When the battle was called, Sir Walter wasted no time grabbing an arrow from his quiver and notching it in his bow. He let it fly and Ralmen knocked it out of the air. Undeterred, he let loose five more in quick succession. Ralmen was able to knock down the first three, but the fourth grassed his cheek the fifth stuck him in the arm. He cried out in pain as he crowd cheered loudly and some mocked Ralmen as he reached for the arrow and yanked it out. 

Sir Walter notched another arrow and had it at the ready as Ralmen composed himself. Ralmen decided to charged him straight on. He was able to clear the length of the entire arena in under half of a minute. Sir Walter let the arrow fly and unsheathed his sword. Ralmen deftly dodged the arrow and brandished his glaive. Walter was able to dodge the first strike as it embedded the blade in the ground with a heavy thud. Ih he had still been standing there, he would have died for certain. Ralmen hissed loudly at him as he pulled the blade from the ground. Walter lunged in anger with his sword and the whole crowd was surprised to see Ralmen pull of a riposte with the glaive. Walter jumped out of range of the thrust. He slashed forward and it left a shallow cut on the naga’s arm. Ralmen roared in anger and lashed out indiscriminately. Walter was able to block and dodge easily until Ralmen backed off to catch his breath. He glared at the human in front of him. “Do you think this is funny!?” he demanded. Walter looked away and denied it. “Then look me in the eyes” he said. Walter shook his head and said “I know what happens if I look you in the eyes”. Ralmen was taken back and unready when Walter used that moment to attack. He was able to dodge, but he was unable to respond with a counterattack. He sighed and said “I’ll beat you without using my powers”. 

Walter was able to get space between them so that he could get into a basic fighting stance and prepare for the next stage of their fight. Ralmen smiled and attacked with his glaive like he had trained. It was a very great contest between the two. The audience cheered at every twist and turn. Joel and the martial were on the edge of their seats as the Master of Ceremony narrated every move they made. Eventually, Walter ran out of stamina. After a weak block, another blow from the glaive knocked the sword from his hand, and he fell to his knees. Ralmen brought the blade of the glaive to his neck with a cruel smile on his face. “I yield!” he yelled to a completely silent arena. Then there was loud cheers all throughout the arena. As Joel looked closer, the peasants were the ones cheering. The whole of the nobility was horrified and the royal box was silent and stoic. Once again, he could not determine their expressions.

Ralmen looked conflicted and his grip tightened on his glaive. Walter was helpless and it looked like he was struggling with his orders. He didn’t move the blade from his neck. “Ralmen! Come here please” Joel yelled and Ralmen turned to him. He slowly slithered over and testily asked what it was he wanted. “I wanted to congratulate you on your victory” he said evenly. The naga’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t say anything else. Joel told him to go and wait with Varazin. He hefted the glaive over his shoulder and slithered off. The next match was the heavy infantryman against Sargrin. Sargrin was in heavy armor and wielded his longsword. Joel was displeased to see that the knight’s weapons were also blessed. “Sargrin, you can use your powers if you want in this fight. Don’t kill him and if he surrenders, accept it” Joel ordered. Sargrin slowly nodded his head and slithered off.

The match was just as well received as the first. The crowd was really in the mood to see a great show after the last fight. The young knight’s name was Sir Maximil, and there was a real love for him from the audience. Sargrin got a fair share of cheers as well. He looked pleased as he looked around the crowd in awe. As soon as the match began, Sargrin and the knight engaged in close combat. Sargrin had overwhelming power, but the knight clearly had way more skill. As Sargrin moved forward for a horizontal slash, the knight rolled under the blade and slashed at his unprotected tail. Not only did black blood ooze from the would but there was the distinct sound of burning. Sargrin cried out in pain, fell back, and put a hand on the would to stop the flow of blood. Joel jolted from his chair from the pain. While he had felt some minor pain from Ralmen’s match the wounds were superficial. The slash on Sargrin’s tail was deep. Joel could feel it in his leg as he collapsed to the floor. The knight held the sword to Sargrin’s throat and demanded he yield. 

Sargrin looked at him with burning hatred and hissed at him. He wasn’t taking the loss or the wound too well. He reached up to his helmet and threw it on the ground with a dull thud. Even his tail thrashed once before the pain made him wince. Maximil still had the blade pointed to him and said nothing. The crowd was silent as they watched what the outmatched demon would do next. Joel was also curious as he lifted himself from the floor and into his seat. “Why don’t you yield to me?” his gaze fixed on his face. Maximil laughed mockingly at him, making Sargrin’s jaw drop in shock. “We all already know about the powers your eyes have. We won’t fall for it. Now yield demon!” he said coldly as he pressed the blade closer drawing blood from his throat. It made Sargrin scream in pain. Joel’s own throat felt like it was on fire. Maxilimil drew the sword back and said “You can’t win with those wounds. Yield or die”. Sargrin glared at him and made a lunge for him and slashed in a horizontal arc again. This time it was behind the knights guard and it caught him in the side. Maximil was knocked off his feet and the quiet crowd murmured amongst themselves in concern.

There was a huge dent in the armor covering where he was hit. Sargrin used a lot of strength in the blow. The young knight rolled on his back and had his sword pointed at Sargrin. “Don’t look down on me, human. I can still win” he said as he took his hand off his wound. Maximil got to his feet, but immediately fell to one knee again as he began to cough. Eventually, he took off his helmet and stood up. The crowd chanted his name to rally him. There was blood on his mouth and another cough made more spew onto the floor. They stared each other down as they slowly approached each other. They clashed and locked blades in the center of the arena. Sargrin had the upper hand as he had his natural demonic strength. Maximil smirked at Sargrin as he swiftly dropped his guard to make Sargrin overextend himself. When he did Maximil sidestepped and slashed at his tail again.

Sargrin dropped his sword in agony and clutched his second wound. Maximil kicked the sword away and held him at swordpoint. Joel also cried out in pain from his chair. “I’m going to kill and eat you! You cheated and you know it!” he screamed. Maximil’s hand had tremors run through it as he held the sword. “You fought honorably. Just yield so we can both get the medical attention we need”. Sargrin just glared at him for a moment. “How can I trust you if you won’t even look me in the eyes?” he hissed. The reply was “I won’t fall for your tricks, demon. Yield or I will keep tormenting you”. He had a faint smile on his face as if the prospect greatly pleased him. Sargrin looked over at Joel and saw the pain on his face. “Fine. I yield” he said quietly. The crowd cheered loudly as Maximil stumbled off the field. Joel walked over to check on Sargrin. There was a look of true shame on the naga’s face. “I don’t know how I could lose to that human” he said. “He was trained to fight like this since born. He was chosen because he was the best the knights had to offer. Even then, you showed that you are strong in your own right” Joel consoled. 

Sargrin looked at him and Joel pulled him closer into a hug. “Do you think you can move? I don’t think I can carry you” he whispered. Sargrin chuckled and said “When Ralmen said that he was fond of you, I thought he was stupid. I wanted to steal you in order to make fun of him. But you were kind and generous. I really want you now” he said huskily. Joel sighed and said “Thank you for that. That is not what I asked you though”. Sargrin said “My tail really hurts. I think I need a core to heal”. Joel had Sargrin follow him to the seat he was watching the matches from. The crowd was still cheering for Sir Maximil. The peasants were cheering, but not as loud as the first match. The nobility were applauding and the royal family looked pleased. Things were still going well as far Joel could see. The knights would be satisfied with this win and Maximil will grow in his personal renown.

The martial and Master of Ceremony looked uncomfortable as Joel attended to the bleeding still naga and made sure he was comfortable. Sargrin lazily hissed at them and they flinched. He smiled at their reaction. They wisely made it a point to look away and say nothing to him. Even a wounded demon was dangerous. “Hey, Joel. I don’t know what a squire is? Is that really a bad thing?” Joel looked at him and said “A squire is attendant for a knight. They do errands for the knight and assist him with certain tasks”. Sargrin glared at him and said “Joel… are you saying I have to be that human’s servant? I won’t do it!” in his darkest voice. Joel looked at the naga with pity and held his hands. He said “That was the agreement and you lost. I don’t want to force you like I have to with Varazin, but I will if I have to”. Sargrin turned away and didn’t face him. Joel sighed and said “I will go with you to Sir Maximil. If he refuses your service as a squire, we don’t have to do that”.

Varazin and entered the arena from one end and the cavalryman arrived on his horse from the other. His name was Sir Mousse. Joel went to inspect the weapons and wasn’t even surprised to see that his morningstar and sword was blessed. Varazin gave him a demon core. “The necromancer you like gave me this for you. He said that Sargrin got beat by that metal knight. I didn’t believe it, but yeah, there he is”. He said as he glanced at the wounded Sargrin. “Varazin, listen to me. You can use your powers in the match, but you can’t kill him”. Varazin hissed in annoyance. Joel repeated the order again more forcefully. “Alright! I won’t kill the human. You’re annoying me!” Joel went to retrieve his javelins and a rapier. Joel asked about it since he hadn’t seen him train with one. “I doesn’t matter. I just wanted one to have if he actually got too close to me. He won’t” he said with a dark smile. Joel left it at that and went to his seat. Sargrin was thankful for the core and one of the wounds closed. 

The match started. The crowd’s cheers had died down and there was a quiet anticipation among them. Varazin pulled out a javelin from his hoster on his back. Sir Mousse calmly brandished his morningstar from atop his warhorse. Varazin stared him down and said nothing. The horse reared and breathed out loudly as it charged. Varazin threw the javelin directly at the horse with his full strength. Sir Mousse had the horse jump over it and it was a glorious moment that got the crowd on its feet. When the horse was twenty paces away from him it suddenly stopped still in its tracks. Mousse tried to spur the horse to action, but nothing happened. Mousse looked at the naga in front of him. “What have you done to my horse, demon!?” he demanded. Varazin did not answer him. Instead, he said “Throw him” and the horse reared again. It bucked again and again. Mousse did his best to stay on, but eventually he was thrown hard to the ground. He dropped his morningstar, but that was the least of his worries. The horse stalked over him as he continued to roll away. The horse tried to crush him with its hooves. 

Mousse was definitely in a life and death struggle. The crowd was very tense and while there were sparse rallying cries, others covered their eyes or the eyes of their children. Joel was upset because he was outplayed by Varazin. If it was the horse, Mousse could die there. On the other hand, pointing it out would spell the end for Varazin. As Mousse rolled, he reached for his back and unsheathed his blade. He slashed out and one of the hooves flew off to the side and the horse stumbled and fell. The blood sprayed everywhere including on the shell-shocked knight on the ground. The horse was still braying in anger and trying to bite him. He had jump to his feet and take several steps back to evade the teeth. Sir Mousse’s face turned grim and with both hands on his sword, he swiftly beheaded the horse. The blood flowed from the open hole where its neck used to be. Sir Mousse fell to his knees. “This was my favorite horse. I’ve raised it since it was born. I won’t forgive you for this” he said softly. 

Varazin smiled and said “Let’s see how well you do without that animal under you”. The knight rose up to his feet and charged. Varazin threw the second javelin and it grazed his cheek. There was a third javelin that Varazin held. It looked like he was going to get into a direct combat with him. It was a pretty fun match to watch. Varazin had a reach advantage and made sure he didn’t get any closer. Mousse was angry, but calm. He parried and blocked all of Varazin’s strikes. Joel had no clue who would win. Sargrin was at his side, quietly cheering on Varazin. Eventually, it was clear that Mousse had began to tire. Sargrin laughed at him maniacally as he grew more aggressive in his offense. “Just give up! You can’t keep up with me” he said as he knocked the sword from his hands. There was a loud clamor among the crowd. They were booing and cursing at Varazin. Joel could understand their feelings. Even though they had no opportunity otherwise, the others fought honorably. Varazin was acting like the monster that they all knew he was. Sir Mousse had no choice but to yield.

After a brief recess, the king and Gregory came down to the field. There was a grand fanfare and they both were smiling warmly to the people. All the fighters were in front of them. Joel and the martial stood in between them with a wizened, but imposing man wearing blue and gold robes. He was silent although Joel knew who he was. It was Commander Lezili of the Order of the Owl’s Wing. This was the knighthood devoted to Agrella. “Today we all have seen three great matches between the... tamed demons of our Court Chaplain” the king said to the cheering crowd. “There is another match after this, but there is something that we felt obligated to do this day, in front of this audience”. The crowd cheered and the king looked like he was truly having a nice time receiving the praise and cheers. The festival was for him in the first place after all. “We wanted to reward the victors personally. In the first match we all saw Ralmen,the demon, defeat Sir Walter”. 

The crowd cheered for the both of them. “Then we all saw an iron clad test of wills in the second match between Sargrin and the intrepid Sir Maximil where Maximil prevailed”. It took awhile for the crowd to quiet down. Maximil was in his fine clothes as were all the knights. He raised an arm in victory before coughing heavily. They were bandaged before being brought out.The king we continued his address.“The most recent match had all of us on the edge of our seat” There were many boos, but Varazin openly mocked them back. “The wager of the duel was clear: knighthood or humble squiredom”. As Joel understood it, there was no reason for the commander to be there. While his fighting against the Demon Lord was well-known, it did not make sense for him to be surprised with knighthood like this. There was no possibility that he was going to offer it to the nagas. “Without further delay, I will induct the three victors into the second highest order in the realm” he declared.

Three well dressed knights appeared with wooden boxes in their arms. They stopped in front of the victors opened the boxes. Inside the boxes were beautifully ornate silver decorative swords with lots of inscriptions as well as a silver ring. The nagas’ eyes glowed with greed seeing the prize. “This is a symbol of your new status as new knights in the Knights of the Silver Ring” the king said. Ralmen looked at Joel and said “You mean this is our own treasure!”. Joel smiled at them and he and Varazin puffed up with pride. Sargrin looked absolutely envious. The king had nodded and said “Our Court Martial Lord Ranulph of Limunder will administer the oath while we raise their brothers into the Order during the dubbing ceremony”. He took the sword from the box in front of Ralmen. “Lower yourselves” he said and Joel encouraged him to do as he said with a nod. “Repeat the oath after Lord Ranulph” he said.

Lord Ranulph began the oath “Place your hands over your hearts and repeat after me: Our white garments decorated with the Silver Star of Parcel remind each of us that we must be capable of making sacrifices. Do not strive for worldly wealth—perhaps tomorrow we might have to give account of ourselves. We shall not know, until it is too late, for excuses are not acceptable to the Allfather. Each day we must help our brethren for whom we are responsible, for one day the Allfather will say, ‘Where is thy Brother?’ We will accept no reward, always be a pillar of Parcel, for all the Order holds for us is the opportunity to flee the sins of the world, to live charitably, to be penitent, and above all, to be the servant of the Realm. With this oath I state my strong and irrevocable intent. To pledge my sword, my forces, my life and everything that I own to the cause, defence, honour and further glory of Parcel, of the Knights of the Silver Ring and of my companions in arms. And, Finally, barring rules dictated by Religion and the Order, to conform to the Laws and Customs of the countries in which I may reside, to fulfill my duties to the citizen, and to be loyal knight in those countries which entertain relations with the Order. This oath I pronounce loudly before the Knights present at this Convent. I sign it and confirm it by my blood. Again, I write will it and sign its registration and witnessed by the Knights and spectators gathered today. For the Glory of Parcel!”. 

It was a great oath and the three repeated the words. The king then used the sword to dubb the three and bid them to rise. “Rise up and receive your new station. Citizens of Parcel, we give to you Sir Ralmen the Unyielding, Sir Maximil the Resilient, and Sir Varazin the Bewitcher”. The crowd gave applause as they rose and were awarded their swords and rings. They all looked very happy. Commander Lezili stepped forward. His voice commanded respect and the crowd immediately quieted down. “I have come to seek Joel to induct him into my order. Will you step forward?” he beckoned Joel in front of him. Joel walked forward and knelt before him. The crowd cheered for him as well. Joel found it very touching.

The old man smiled and said “Place your hand over your heart and repeat: I recognize with gladness that we are neither lost, nor strangers to Agrella, but one of Her good creatures, and in our Temples we shall meet people from many nations and religions. There is no shame in seeking Agrella; forget not when we ponder that Agrella’s Temple is our own being. She will not look for us, but we first must seek her. Each day, time must be put aside for meditation and prayers for our Order and its work. The principles of Agrella life are always valid. We must care for mind, body and soul. Work happily, but with humility and at all times honor our fellow man- we care not for worldly goods. As true Owl’s Wings, we must always be prepared for battle in either the temporal or spiritual realms. Our oaths require moral courage and our way of life demands dedication to our knightly ideals. The true knight is, of course, humble before Agrella and his fellow man. If an Owl's Wing would boast about anything, he boasts in her! I pledge myself, from now and forever, to the holy Militia of the Order of the Owl’s Wing. I declare to take freely and solemnly oath of obedience, poverty and chastity, as well as fraternity and hospitality. With this oath I state my strong and irrevocable intent. To abhor all immodesty, and not to indulge in illegitimate pleasures of the flesh and then only with my legitimate spouse. Finally, barring rules dictated by Religion and the Order, to conform to the Laws and Customs of the countries in which I may reside, to fulfill my duties to the citizen, and to be loyal knight in those countries which entertain relations with the Order. This oath I pronounce loudly before the Knights present at this Convent. I sign it and confirm it by my blood. Peace to all Agrella favors with wisdom!” 

Joel was granted an iron longsword and an iron pendant in the shape of a wing of an owl. He was on the verge of tears. He rose as Joel the Clear-eyed. The nagas cheered for him and even the other knights did as well. He was happy and as he gazed in the crowd, he remembered the next match and became anxious. They all cleared the arena for the next match. Jeremy looked pretty anxious as well. Joel walked to him and asked if he was okay. “I really don’t know. I thought I could do it but my hand is shaking” he said. When he showed his hands, they did have tremors going through them. Joel grabbed his hands and looked him in the eyes. He said “Jeremy. You are my younger brother. I never want to lose you. If you are not completely sure, run away to the monastery. No one will reach you there. I need to know that you are going to be safe”, and calmly let his hands go. Jeremy sighed and gazed back with determination in his eyes. “I won’t fail. Someone needs to save Diamond from that demon” he whispered.

Percival met him in the middle and they exchanged weapons. The two hand axes he had made both him and Jeremy shiver. There was a faint blue glow on the blade. “Percival had something to do with this! There’s no way you can fight against the forces of two. Joel took the axes to the middle where he waited for Percival. Percival also looked displeased. “These weapons are blessed. Please tell your brother that I’m disappointed” he sniffed. Joel looked baffled at him and said “You clearly enchanted these axes. Jeremy is my brother! You know I have already lost my father. How could you?” he said exasperation. Percival looked repentant. “My contract says I must protect Vysel. I can’t allow him to come to harm”. Joel let the axes fall to the ground with a clatter. Percival sighed and did the same with Jeremy’s swords. The Master of Ceremony had frowned at them and approached to see what their problem was. 

When he heard what had happened, he scratched his chin in thought. “You two are the noble seconds in this duel. If you do not come to a resolution this match may not begin and I suggest you do soon. His Majesty loves duels and the like” he said. His demeanor changed and frowning, he whispered “You two may be Companions, but for a random peasant monk and a foul demon… there are so many dangers”. Joel shivered as he thought of harm coming to his brother. “The only way to ensure their safety is to fight ourselves as their champions. Percival, would that be acceptable to you?” he pleaded with his eyes. “Out of friendship, I’m inclined to agree. Joel, I will fight with all my strength”. The Master of Ceremony smiled and announced the change of plans to the crowd.

Joel drew his own swords and Percival retrieved his staff for the match. Jane had ran to him from the audience with their mother a few strides behind and begged him to reconsider fighting him. He really wanted to but he shook his head. “There is too much at stake. I have to do this. If it falls apart and I fail, Jeremy will lose his soul” he said. Jane looked at Percival and asked if he thought he could win. Joel thought that it was a good possibility. Jane nodded and pulled him in for a hug. “If you’re sure about this I’ll support you like always” she said again as she slid him a set of five throwing knives. He nodded and said a quick prayer for guidance and victory in his head as he walked to where the duel would begin. The tense duel began before any more interruptions could take place and Joel charged in immediately. Joel knew Percival needed time and concentration if he was to cast his magic. He threw a knife at him and his eyes widened as he leaped out the way. Joel slashed his sword and grazed Percival’s shoulder. Joel’s own shoulder felt as it was on fire.

Whatever happened had happened, but Joel had to stay on the offensive. Percival would only benefit from more time. He struck out at Joel with his staff. Joel blocked the staff and slashed at him again. He moved with energy that he only saw in the Demon Country from him. His eyes flashed as he mumbled something under his breath and Joel shivered as he felt an unholy presence on his soul. He jumped back and he saw Percival smile. Joel felt weaker than and he felt the pores on his body open. It was if the moisture in his body had been drawn from him and he felt more dehydrated as time went on. “Give up. Your body has been blighted. You won’t last much longer” Percival reached a hand out. Joel slapped it away, but Percival caught his hand murmured again. Joel’s vision faded to white and he jumped back again to gain distance. “I’ve blinded you. Just surre-” he began before Joel threw a knife that embedded itself in his foot. He screamed in pain and clutched his foot.

Joel threw another and from the added shrill of the shrieks from Percival, he knew it struck him in a non-fatal area. He raised another knife and Percival screamed “I give up! I yield already”. It made Joel feel remorseful to do this to a friend, but his brother was more important to him. Vysel yelled as he stormed the arena. The crowd was cheering the result, so they were entertained enough. “How could you have lost!? Did you throw the match, or were you not taking it serious from the beginning?” he berated the pinned necromancer. “Be quiet! I was always at a great disadvantage here. He won the match fairly. Pull the blade out of my foot” he ordered. Vysel took sick pleasure doing it as slowly and sloppily as possible. Joel’s family rushed him and pulled him into a hug and led him to his seat. After a minute in the chair, he was able to regain his sight. He smiled at them and they cheered for him. Diamond approached him and thanked him for freeing him from Vysel. 

That evening there was a grand feast in the castle. All of the fighters were sat together at a table and they shared stories of battle. Most of them had a siege or a field battle they were proud of The two Companions recounted the stories they had in the Demon country. The nagas actually had the best stories and the others found them fascinating to listen to. As the feast reached the high point Farlan entered the hall with his three sons. The brought the swords that they made using the incubus blood Vysel gave them. “Your Majesty, Your Highness, I wanted to grant you a gift that would be worthy of you and demonstrate my full skill. Just as my ancestors did long ago, I have forged a might blade that shall lead to many victories on the field of battle”. He than had his sons open the boxes that opened the helf the blades. “I call them the Blade of Desire and the Attraction Blade. I hope you are pleased with this humble gift”. All in attendance stood to get a better look.

The blade was a steel sword with elaborate inscriptions running along the blade. What was so different was a thin red line formed a spiral in the center of the hilt and ran across the blade. If one were to look closer at the swords, it would be apparent that the line was pulsing as if was a blood vessel. “In the legends of old, the great swords of legend forged of demons’ blood looked more… imposing” the king said dispirited. Gregory looked down at it and said “I think it would be better to use the sword I have know, thank you” in a biting tone. Farlan’s face faulted and he took a step back. At that moment Vysel walked over and took the swords. He held them as he closed his eyes. “They were made from my blood so I feel a really deep connection with them” he said before brandishing them both with ease and moving through the proper stances like a master swordsman. He even threw them up in the air one at a time and caught them before juggling them between his hands. He caught them both and held a pose which moved everyone watching to applaud.

When the cheers died down Vysel opened his eyes again. “These are demonic blades. They are no different from a demon. If you want them to be as big as you say they should be, you need to feed them. I wonder how many souls and how much blood will be sacrificed” he cooed as he rubbed his face lovingly. The disturbing atmosphere he was producing with his infatuation was so perverse, many looked away from him. The king’s eyes sparkled with a plan. “We see that this is not as simple as it first appeared. In the morning, We will test this out with a mass execution in the dungeon”. The idea was not one that inspired mirth or cheer. However, who would dare go against the wishes of their king. Soon the meal progressed without any additional incident. Farlan snatched the blades from the incubus, much to his annoyance. They were put in boxes and they left the hall in the way they came in. 

After the meal, Joel decided to get up and move around. He smiled wide when he finally found his family outside the hall. Jeremy, Jane, and their jubilant mother were dressed in noble clothes and were pointing to the sky. The sky had way fewer stars than the monastery, but these were new. There was also a few shooting stars streaking across the sky. The four of them watched in awed silence. Joel broke the silence with “This is a miracle, and I’m so glad I could share it with my family”. They turned to him with fond eyes and Jane and their mother took his hands as they walked around the royal gardens. “So what will you do now Sir Joel the Clear-eyed?”. Joel took a moment to think. “I will wear the habit of the Order when it is delivered to me. I also will have to think of a family name going forward. What should it be? I want your opinion since you will also lay claim to the name as my family”. 

The rest of the night was spent laughing and thinking of a good name. They went back and forth for hours, but could not agree on a single name. Eventually, they decided to stop thinking about it. Jeremy sat on a bench and said “If Father were here, he would have a great idea what to do about this”. “He would probably agree with me” Jane and their mother said in unison. After a brief pause, all four fell into a laughing fit. Joel decided it was time for him to go to bed. “Ha! I’m going to enjoy this some more. I never regretted bringing you up in Buzzseal, but now that I am free of that place, and a lady at that, I’m going to live as good a life as I can”. Her children looked shocked at the sentiment. Instead of challenging her Joel shook his head and excused himself. Jeremy and Jane did the same. Lady Cassandra snorted and waved to her three fleeing children.


	11. Chapter 11

When reached his room he saw a bundle of clothing on his bed. Inside were two shirts, a tunic to be worn over them, two pairs of shoes and two pairs of under drawers, long cape, a leather belt, a cotton cap, cloak, and a felt hat. In addition was a note telling him to arrive in the chapel at noon and the registration would take place for him and the other victors. The color of the tunic was sky blue with diagonal rings running up the length. The thick cloak was a darker, near black shade of blue. He tried it on and saw that it fit him. He looked at the mirror affixed to his desk and thought he looked fetching in the full uniform. He carefully disrobed and folded it neatly on his desk. He was going to need to wear it after he had taken a bath. Joel got into bed and said a few quick prayers before he fell asleep. When he woke up he prayed again. He rushed to the bath to wash himself. Along the way he met Sargrin wandering the halls. His tail was completely healed from the wounds he had suffered the day before. He was still in a melancholy mood as he turned to Joel. “I don’t understand. Ralmen is undefeated against humans. Varazin beat the knight he fought. I lost to you, to Varazin, and now to that Maximil. Am I weak? The others were showing off their treasure. Why can’t I have treasure?” he said sadly.

Joel pulled him into another hug and tried his best to reassure him. “Sargrin, I think that you are strong. I think if you keep training, you will be stronger than the strongest human knight” he said as he pat the naga on the back. Joel walked down the hallway and was a bit surprised when he realized Sargrin was following him. He looked confused at him until Sargrin asked to accompany him. “I am going to the baths. I could wash your back and hair for you if you want”. Sargrin nodded and followed him. At the baths, Joel got undressed and took off the naga’s shirt. He lathered up the washrag and washed himself. He used a separate rag for Sargrin. He yelped as the soapy water reached his back. Joel did his best to scrape the dirt and grime off his skin, and it seemed like Sargrin enjoyed it. When he was done he was horrified at the state of the rag. It was filthy and covered in an oil like substance. It was unusable, so Joel let it drop to the floor with a splat.

Sargrin’s hair was just as oily. The soap helped quite a bit, and it still took several rinses before it could be called clean. Joel took the bucket and emptied the water over Sargrin to get rid of any remaining suds. Joel then did the same for himself. Joel dried himself off with a towel and the naga just shook as much moisture as he could off his body. Joel offered to use some of the oil, but Sargrin refused. “I like your scent the best” he purred. After they finished, Joel dressed himself in the garb of the order. Sargrin had a blue shirt on. There was still a couple of hours before the registration. They were waiting together in the garden when Sargrin let his tongue hang out in the air. He hissed and looked toward the entrance of the path. Joel wanted to ask who it was when Sir Maximil came into view. Joel stood in front of the naga and waited for the knight to come closer. He looked calmly at them and said “I’ve come to collect Sargrin for his duties as my squire”.

Sargrin hissed even more menacingly at him. “I don’t want to go with him, Joel. Send him away!” he demanded as he curled his tail around Joel. Maximil said “Quiet demon. You insulted the honor of my comrades. There was a fair battle, and I won. Joel himself set the terms”. Joel had done so. There was no denying that fact. He tried to reason with the agitated naga. “Please reconsider. Being a squire isn’t shameful at all. I will also look after you and make sure you are safe” he said. Sargrin glared at him and firmly repeated he would not go. Joel looked over to the knight and asked “Can you give me your word as a knight and as a gentleman that you will be fair with him? Can you swear you will not abuse him or punish him without reason?”. Maximil’s eyes raised. “That is a demon. One clearly threatening you right as we speak. Why do you care how he is treated?” he asked.

Sargrin smiled evilly at the knight and said “Hahahaha! Joel won’t let me be harmed. He’s too fond of me for that”. He then began possessively stroking Joel’s cheeks. Sir Maximil looked personally offended by him and said “Fine demon. Joel, I give you my solemn vow. I swear that I will not punish him unjustly. I will treat him honestly and fairly execute my duties to him as a knight”. Joel calmly looked at Sargrin. “I told you that I don’t want to force you to do anything, but if you don’t want to go, I’ll have to order you”. The naga’s face fell and he glared at him. “If he really will treat me in the right way and actually train me to be stronger… I could try to listen to him”. Joel nodded, pleased with that outcome. “Sargrin is accompanying me for the day. I will send him to you tomorrow. Good day to you” he said politely before leading Sargrin away by the shoulder. 

At the registration ceremony, Sargrin waited outside the open chapel doors as Joel signed his name in blood. The ceremony was brief but impactful for the young monk. He still could not think of a fitting name for his family. Nothing felt right to him. In the end, he decided to settle for a simple matronymic in order to honor his mother. He signed the register as Joel Cassandrason, a new knight and Court Chaplain to the Kingdom of Parcel. He thought that she would enjoy it at the very least. He greeted the naga outside of the doors and told him that they needed to go to the courtyard to see the others’ ceremony. He nodded his head and they made it in time to see Ralmen cut his finger and place it on the roll of paper. It had seemed that they had chosen their family names themselves. Varazin chose Redscale for himself and Ralmen decided Blacktail was a good enough name. 

There was subdued applause from the audience and the ceremony came to a close soon after the signing. Joel greeted them and said “So know that you two are knights and will be called on to protect Parcel in times of crisis, how do you feel?”. Varazin drew his sword and held it to the sky. “With this, I’ll cut through anything in my way! Even you Joel” he cried in glee. Ralmen looked at the ring on his finger. “I almost can’t believe that being under your protection gained us all of this glory and treasure”. Sargrin frowned and Varazin chuckled snidely. He slithered closer to Sargrin, laid his arm around his shoulders and said “Sargrin, I bet you feel so foolish right now, huh? You were the one saying the knight with the heavy armor was cowardly. And then when the time came to prove it, he beat you so bad the necromancer had to take pity on you”. Sargrin hung his head low and muttered “That stupid human had a blessed weapon. It was not a fair fight”. Ralmen looked reproachfully at him and said “They all did! We were the ones to win though. That is not a good excuse for losing”. 

Joel stepped in and said “I don’t think he has to give an excuse. He lost, but that doesn’t mean that he’s weak. I know that he is very strong. Sir Maximil was more experienced in battle and deserved his win, but Sargrin was very close to victory”. Varazin hissed and said “Being ‘close to victory’ doesn’t mean anything. Don’t coddle Sargrin. You’ll just get him killed. Weaklings only need to shut their mouths and follow what the strong say!”. Joel realized that for much of the world that was true. Kings and nobles had authority and large armies to show their power. A strong rouge could go very far before the law had a chance to rein him in. For demons, a lack of power only led to being oppressed or killed.   
Sargrin hissed angrily at the other two nagas before slithering away. Joel decided to follow him after wishing them well and telling them to enjoy themselves. Joel caught up to Sargrin and grabbed his hand. “We still have to go see the executions for the demon blades” he said soothingly as he rubbed circles on his hand with his thumb. A shiver ran down the naga’s spine as he turned to face Joel with a blush on his face. “How do you do that Joel? How can you just touch us and make it feel so good?” he asked with eyes clouded by lust. Joel did not like that look and let go of his hand. Sargrin looked disappointed, but continued to wait for an answer to his question. Joel also wondered why the nagas were so receptive to his touch. 

Joel thought about it for a second and explained it to him. “Sargrin, you told me in the demon country, you can’t show your back or you’ll be dominated. Humans are the same way. You can’t know who will betray you or if someone wants to trick or hurt you. But humans have love and they seek it out. Because of this they trust those they care about. The risk is that they might be hurt, but the reward is the happiness of companionship and pleasure that comes from bonding with the one you love” he said. He looked skeptical and said “I don’t love you. I’m not Ralmen or some human”. Joel shook his head. “No, but you trust me to be kind and gentle with you. You know I won’t hurt you, and I will console you when you feel upset”. Joel reached out and rubbed his back. Sargrin sighed in pleasure and looked at Joel with lust again. “Joel, at this point I’m going to take you by force” he said.

As they arrived to the plaza before the dungeon, there was already a large crowd formed in front of the execution block. The people gave them a wide berth as they passed by. The whispers and stares did not faze them and soon they were in the front. Vysel walked over to them as the executioner raised the demon blade in the air. The poor woman had her eyes squeezed tight in anticipation until the heavy blade cleaved the neck on her shoulders in two. It was a gruesome wound, but it was not a complete decapitation so the execution hacked his way with the blade to completion. Vysel flinched as the head finally hit the ground. The next man was brought to kneel in front of him and the process repeated again and again. On the fourth time, the head was severed and Vysel fell to his knees. Joel rushed forward and helped him to his feet again. The incubus looked surprised and said “Why are are you being so kind to me? You hate me!”. Joel shook his head. “Of course I will help you. Percival and I take care of you. We don’t want you to get hurt in any way” he said

Vysel tilted his head confused. “I wasn’t hurt at all. See?” he said as he turned around so that they could see he had no injuries. Joel checked and then asked why he had fallen to the floor if he was not hurt. The incubus’s eyes widened and he stepped closer and embraced Joel. “The blade is an extension of me. I can’t help the pleasure rushing into me as each of them fall to the blade. I feel stronger and the blade gets sharper with each new kill” he said as the next person was executed in a single slice and his body tensed as he cried out in pleasure. Joel held him tight in order to brace him and rubbed his back to help him through it. He nuzzled his face deeper into Joel’s neck. “Vysel, I want to make it very clear to you that I still won’t let you feed on me”. He stilled and said “Just let me stay here for now. I’m able siphon some sexual energy from you just by being this close”. Joel sighed and pet his head. 

The blade itself had transformed . Where the blade was dull and had a single vein the night before, the blade was sharper and the vein had branched into different areas in the sword. If this continued, there was no telling how monstrous the sword and Vysel could become. “Joel, I want one of those swords. If I had one, I would be unstoppable”. Joel held him by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes. “You gave your blood freely. Those swords are not yours. They belong to the king and the Hero. You can’t have them, so put the thought out of your mind”. Vysel whimpered as the next victim was killed. Joel pulled him closer and sighed. The executioner switched blades and the process repeated until all of the gathered prisoners were killed. The king then addressed the crowd. It was a warm and friendly speech to the festive crowd. The crowd cheered at the conclusion and dispersed after the king left. 

Vysel was still writhing in ecstacy on top of Joel even after they were left alone. Joel sighed as he rubbed his back and tried his best to soothe the demon. All the movement on top of him was making him uneasy. He was blushing very heavily as the incubus cooed, moaned and nuzzled closer to him. When it was clear that he was fine, Joel gently pushed him away. The incubus whined childishly and Joel gasped as he felt a bit less awake and more slow than normal. Vysel smiled at him and said “It was delicious. Give me some more”. Joel frowned and bopped him in the head and told him no. He held his head and looked upset. He said “You just said that you didn’t want to hurt me. You lied”. Joel shook his head and said “You’re not hurt. I told you not to feed on me. I’m sorry if it was too hard of a hit, but please stop trying to manipulate me”. Vysel huffed at the two of them and stormed off down the road to the castle. Joel was able to relax as he was no longer being intimidated by Vysel. 

Sargrin smiled after him and said “He’s way too greedy. If you won’t even let me or Ralmen take you as a mate, how could he even think he’s good enough”. Joel looked at him to explain what he meant. The naga puffed his chest in pride. “You might be bound by an oath, but you’re still a human. There’s no way you aren’t drawn to us. Varazin’s manhood is pretty big… but I won’t lose to him in size. You like giving massages and grooming all of us. You would choose us way before him”. Joel blushed again at the insinuation. “And why are you so confident that I wouldn’t like Vysel. Percival seems to enjoy him” he said, to draw the conversation away from the nagas and their attractiveness. Sargrin smiled knowingly and said “I know because you said it earlier. I know you don’t trust him. You won’t be alone with him. You won’t touch him unless he’s in a weaker position. You can’t love him. You love us”. Joel had to admit that was the case. He was very distrustful of him.

Joel asked why he thought that he loved them. “I know that you feel fondness for us. You refuse to oppress us. You like touching us and making sure we are comfortable. Varazin hates you, but you still treat him fairly. To be honest, I’ve seen you admiring our tails, and so have the others. If you want to get closer and touch them you could just ask” Sargrin continued. Joel was quiet and started walking to the castle. Sargrin wasn’t finished. He leaned in Joel’s ear and whispered “If I thought that I could really win, I would take you by force. I know Ralmen feels the exact same way about you. Varazin would just try to dominate and humiliate you and then kill you”. Joel said in a strained tone “I don’t want to talk about this anymore”. Sargrin looked at the monk before he smiled to himself and continued on his way ahead of him. As Joel was alone, he decided to go pray in the chapel. When he entered the gates of the castle, he saw Jane and Jeremy with her new fiance. 

Sir Walter noticed Joel first and told his siblings. They turned their heads to him and waved him over. Joel smiled and joined them as they walked along the road as they enjoyed the festivities and decorations outside in the town. His desire to go to the chapel could wait until later. “What was the name that you ended with when you registered?” Jane asked. Joel puffed up with some pride. “I am Sir Joel Cassandrason the Clear Eyed. How do you do?” he introduced himself. His sister looked amused and so did Jeremy. “Can I join in and take the name too?” he asked. Joel nodded and smiled at him. “Jane, I would like it if you took the family name as well. We’re still a family”. She also smiled at him and said she would. They went to a shop that Sir Walter had said had the best baked goods in the capitol. The three siblings were eager to try it and when they got there they almost ordered on of everything. “I’m sorry, Sirs and Lady, but this order would take a whole day to complete for you. Is there perhaps one specific item you would like?” the young woman at the counter asked meekly. Sir Walter ordered them a loaf of sweet bread to share. After a few minutes, the loaf was ready and they walked to the park after he paid a silver piece for it. 

The loaf didn’t last long being split into four. The sweet loaf tasted great and the three siblings were surprised at just how good it was. “I want some more” Jeremy said. “You can buy your own whole loaf for a silver piece” Joel replied. Jane nodded her head eagerly. She said “We need to go to the store more often” on their way back to the castle. The others agreed and they walked back in a comfortable quiet. When they got back, Joel excused himself to the group and went to find his mother. He wanted to share the news with her and maybe even celebrate. He was getting concerned when he couldn’t find her even after searching all around for two hours. Joel decided to check in the chapel as that was the last place she could possibly be. He found her sitting idly on the pew in front. She was clearly bored and waiting for him, causing him to sigh out loud. Cassandra heard him and turned to face him with a frown. “Not happy to see your own mother? What took you so long to come back?” she demanded. 

Joel walked toward her slowly, trying to hide his discomfort. “I was looking all over for you. You hardly ever come here, so this was the last place I looked” he said. She waved him off and scoffed at him. “If I want to find you, I’d come here because you’re almost always here” was her reply. Joel had to nod in agreement. It was well known that he liked to open the chapel early in the morning, give sermon at noon, leave to settle his own affairs and desires, and then finally close the chapel in the evening. “If you know my schedule so well, can I expect you to hear my sermon tomorrow?” he asked in an accusing tone. She smiled and shook her head. “Joel, I love you with all my heart, and you know that. I don’t really enjoy the sermons though.” Joel raised an eyebrow at this. “What’s wrong with my sermons? No one has ever complained to me before about them” he said defensively. He took great pride in them. His mother said “You love Agrella, and we all get that. Do you really have to keep repeating that though Joel? Even the monks at the monastery would tell us things to better our lives”.

Criticism was something Joel was very used to hearing. From Orion’s martial training to the abbot’s religious instruction, he had people pointing out his flaws and helping him fix them. Even in the court, there were those who spoke badly of him for keeping the company of demons. If none of that could offend him, he could handle his own mother trying to critique his sermons. He knew he could spend more time on her teachings. He smiled warmly and nodded. Cassandra stood up and looked Joel over with a smile and said “Before you were born, me and your father were just some peasants on a farm. Then you were born and we knew you were more special than we had any right to having. We knew had to go where you would be safe and able to save everyone. Now look at us. I’m a pretty lady. And your father… he would be so proud of you if he saw the three of you know”. Joel smiled at her and his chest did puff a bit from pride. He loved his family and wanted above all to see them happy and proud of him. He perked up and said “I wanted to tell you the family name I had chosen”.

She looked interested in his decision and asked what he chose. When Joel told him she looked surprised and then confused. “I’m sorry, but can you repeat that. What was the name you chose again?” she asked. Joel repeated himself more clearly before she sat down with her head in her hands. “Joel, what were you thinking- naming your family after a woman!” Joel was taken aback at her reaction. “I-I… I thought that it would please you. I wanted to honor what you have done for me and show my love for you” he said, still not understanding what was wrong. She laughed sarcastically. It hurt Joel deep down and he asked what was wrong. “Joel, a man must love his mother. There is no doubt. But do you honestly think any woman wants a man who can’t stand on his own without his mother holding him up!?” she yelled. Joel could feel his cheeks heat up in shame as he looked on the floor away from her.

Cassandra sighed loudly and glared at him from her hands. “I knew that you were a bit soft for a boy growing up with all those monks, but don’t you think this is overdoing it. It was a nice thing to do, but I don’t need praise when you are being laughed at” she said. Joel wasn’t sure what to do. “I’m sorry” he said blankly. She sighed and said “I won’t coddle you anymore. You are grown now. Please think more carefully about what you do. You are the head of a new family, so don’t embarrass yourself”. Joel nodded and left her in the chapel. He needed to be alone and rushed to his room to pray. He was troubled and even after hours on his knees, he couldn’t find any peace of mind. A servant knocked on his door to deliver his dinner. He had been in his room so many times that they servants knew to bring his food to him if he did not eat in the dining hall. It was very attentive of them and he rewarded him.

The servants smiled at him as he gave them some coins and thanks. They then looked at each other and shared a pleased look. They bowed and took their leave down the hall. Joel looked after them as they walked briskly to their next task. He then turned to his food and began to eat it. He liked the taste, but he couldn’t quite enjoy himself with what had happened. After he had finished his food, he returned to the chapel to close it for the night. He had wanted to keep away from his mother so he was reluctant to go earlier. When he had got there, he saw the chapel was already closed. He sighed in relief that Jeremy had done it for him. He would thank him when he saw him in the morning. He walked to his room and got ready for bed. It was clear that things were not going well for him and he was in a poor mood. “I hope we can reconcile soon” he muttered as he got into bed.


	12. Chapter 12

In the middle of the night, Joel stirred awake as he heard the door to his room creak open. Ever since he heard the prophecy, he had been sleeping more lightly. He wasn’t sure when he would be betrayed, but if it happened he wanted to be ready. He opened his eyes, but made no sound as he tried to get his eyes to adjust in the darkness. The familiar sound of scales scraping against the floor told him that it was at least two of the nagas. He sat up in the bad and saw that it was only Ralmen and Sargrin. They both hissed when they saw him awake. “Why are you two here this early in the morning”. Sargrin smiled and said “It’s still nighttime. You’re the one who went to sleep early. But that’s fine as long as we can do what we can here for”. Joel asked them what they were there to do. “We can’t wait any longer Joel! We’re going to make you mate with one of us. We’ll take you by force if you don’t let us” Ralmen spoke up as they approached the bed. Joel sighed and told them to wait until he lit the bedside candle.

Sargrin slithered in front of Joel and said “I told Ralmen what you told me today. He didn’t take it well”. Ralmen pushed him out of the way and said “There’s no way some human female can satisfy you more than we can! I won’t allow it. Joel, if you ever fall in love with a female, I’ll kill and eat them!” he said yanking Joel closer to him. Joel gripped his fists and loosened their grip on his nightshirt. “I understand that you feel fondness for me, but I can’t do what you want from me. I won’t break my vow. Not even for you two”. Ralmen hissed and said “Demons don’t love, but I feel sad whenever you look at others. It hurts me at my core”. Sargrin said the same thing and they both looked pretty sad. Joel brought them both in a hug and kept them there for a few minutes without saying anything. Sargrin broke the silence and said “Maybe you could do it if you looked in my eyes”. Joel told him no. “What’s wrong with that!? All you have to do is look and we can take the blame for tricking you!” he yelled.

The nagas were in pain and Joel said “Even if I did look, I would still be honor bound to try to resist it. You’re not strong enough to keep me under your control”. Ralmen tried to get out of the hug and said “Humans need to trust others so that they can feel good. Why can’t you trust us to take care of you? We’ll protect you from Agrella”. Joel held them both in the hug and chuckled to himself. Two demons standing against Agrella had no chance. It was such an absurd thing, he could not keep from laughing. Sargrin pinched his arm upset and said “It’s not funny. With you by our side, we could do anything”. Joel thought about it. They were underestmating something crucial to their plans. He loved his goddess more than the fondness for them. Joel would never stand against Agrella. “Ralmen, could you lay down on the bed for me?” he asked. Ralmen did without question. He then turned to Sargrin and asked him to give a massage. Joel wanted to test them.

Sargrin slithered over to Ralmen and gingerly placed his hands on his back. They both looked extremely nervous. Joel was the only one who did that type of thing with them. Joel crawled closer to them and gave them encouragement. “We’ve done this many times before so it won’t be too hard. Just remember what I told you about risk and reward”. They both nodded at him and Sargrin started with his massage. Ralmen was still tense and he said that Sargrin was being too rough. Sargrin would try again and then Ralmen would squirm because he was not using enough strength. “You’re annoying me. Do you want me to use my strength or not?” he hissed. Ralmen shrugged. Sargrin yanked his hair and Ralmen hissed angrily. Joel stopped them and said “Sargrin, there should be moderation with your strength. I don’t use my full strength on you, but you can feel it”. He then turned to Ralmen and said “You won’t be able to enjoy yourself if you don’t relax”.

After being scolded by Joel, they looked at each other and tried again. Ralmen was doing his best to breathe and relax. Sargrin was only using half of his strength this time. Soon Ralmen surprised the both of them when he moaned in relief from the massage. Sargrin stopped for a moment and said “I bet you want some more massaging”. Ralmen didn’t say anything, but the blush on his face spoke for him. This brought a large smile on his face. Sargrin continued the massage and they both liked it. Ralmen enjoyed a good first attempt at massage. Sargrin looked down in wonder as what he was doing was affecting his nestmate positively. After an exciting few minutes he told them to switch. They smiled and moved so that Sargrin was the naga on the bed and Ralmen was over him. Ralmen made sure he was using half his strength for the massage. It seemed that Ralmen was more skilled from Sargrin’s reaction. After a few minutes, Joel told them to get up and tell them how they felt.

Ralmen actually enjoyed himself and so did Sargrin. “So this is how humans live with their short lifespans” Ralmen said. Sargrin nodded and said “It’s risky, but it’s really good when it works out”. Joel smiled at them and said “That is true. It doesn’t always work out, but humans try their best to find happiness”. He then told them both to lay down across the bed. “I am flattered that you both feel fondness for me. I am really sorry that I can’t give you what you want from me. I still want to show you two the fondness I have for you” he said as he stood between them. “I want to cherish you. Is that okay?” he asked. “Of course it’s fine. Make me feel good or I’ll take you by force” Sargrin said enthusiastically. Ralmen nodded in agreement. Joel chuckled and began his work. He started from their scalps and made his way down from their necks to their backs. He started using one hand so he could massage them both at the same time. When he got to their backs he ran his hands down their backs in long strokes from the neck down to the tail. He repeated it several times before they started to squirm.

After another three of strokes along their backs, Sargrin demanded that he stop playing around and start the massage. Joel stopped and turned to Ralmen and used both hands to massage his back. Joel made sure to give his all to the massage. He massaged every single muscle and released all the tension. By the time he was finished, Ralmen was a moaning mess. Joel then turned to Sargrin and did the same. Sargrin was less vocal than his nestmate, but he was just as pleased with the massage he received. Joel told them both to face forward and keep looking that way without turning back and they looked confused, but they complied without a fuss. Joel stepped back and looked down on the floor. He saw what he was looking for and grinned. With one hand he grabbed the tip of Ralmen’s tail. He took Sargrin’s tail with the other. Both nagas yelped and jolted in surprise. He used his thumbs to massage the underside of the tails as he moved up and down. 

The moaning and writhing on the bed from the nagas was getting a bit too lewd for the monk to handle. His face felt hot from all the blood rushing in from his blush. “Keep going! I’m going to spill my seed!” Sargrin cried out in ecstasy. “Me too!” Ralmen yelled out. Joel dropped both their tails and said “Don’t!”. They both grunted in pain. Joel said “You can’t do that here. It would look bad when people come in to clean or give me things. The smell would be hard to explain away as well”. He was apologetic, but the nagas both hissed angrily at him. Sargrin turned over and showed his erections saying “How are you going to handle this, Joel?” Ralmen did the same and whined “It really hurt when you did that!”. Joel sincerely apologized for what he did and told them to relax in the corner of the room. They grumbled, but complied with what he said. When he heard a knock on the door, Joel quickly went to answer it. He opened it a crack and stuck his head out quickly.

Vysel was outside smiling at him with his hands behind his back. Joel sighed and thought about what would be the quickest way to shoo him away. “Good morning Vysel. Is there something that you need?” Joel asked the incubus. He smiled wider and said “You were starting something without me. If you’re going to go back on your vow, the least you could do is come to me first. I am the one who could use it the most”. Joel frowned and said he really had no idea what Vysel meant. The incubus looked at him seriously and said “I could sense Ralmen and Sargrin here and ready to spill their seed. They’re still in there, so let me in already”. Joel said “You must have imagined it. I need to get some rest before I open the chapel. I will see you later”. He shut the door firmly. Suddenly, his whole body felt as if it was consumed by flames. He could also feel his erection rising against his will. He collapsed against the door. “Let me in Joel. I know you’re weak to this. I want to make you feel good. Is it so hard to accept me?” Vysel said so seductively Joel almost believed it. Instead he got into lotus position and started meditation in order to counteract his powers.

The influence on Joel was strong, but not insurmountable for him. At times, Vysel would greatly increase the pressure of his glamor. Joel would cry out in pain and shiver from the desperate need burning in his loins. When the nagas tried to comfort him, he commanded them to stay where they were and not move. Vysel spoke to him from the other side of the door again. It was clear from the strain in his voice that he was also at his limit. Joel refused him again and soon after the pressure weighing down on him was lifted. “Damn! My powers are depleted because you were so stubborn. Now I have to go feed” he said angrily and a bit tired before he stomped off down the hall. Joel slumped forward in exhaustion. He allowed the nagas to help him to his feet. “You can’t let him keep power over you. It’s your purity he’s after. Even we want it. If you gave it to us, he would stop” Sargrin lectured. 

Joel told them to help him get to their room. “There is something important I need to speak with all three of you about”. They looked at each other before they each took an arm and lifted him of the floor. Joel was able to shuffle his feet, but it was really his two companions dragging him along down the hall to their room. When the door opened and the trio entered the room, Varazin scoffed at his appearance and said “You look dreadful. Did they really do that much damage taking you by force?”. He then looked at them and they shook their head no. “Vysel put him in a glamor and probably took some of his energy from outside the room” Ralmen explained. This made Varazin confused. “He said he needed to tell us something really important” Sargrin said, anticipating his next question. Soon, Joel was able to stand on his own and told them to listen to him for a moment.

All three nagas slithered in front of him and waited for him to begin. He took a deep breathe before he started. “Once again, I want to congratulate Varazin and Ralmen for their victories in the arena. It was impressive and very well earned”. They both looked proud and Sargrin looked down. Joel sighed. “As knights I must tell you that you have become the lowest level of nobility of human society. If you remember, you swore to the whole of Parcel that you would stand and defend it. This grants you certain privileges I will explain to you” he continued. This got their attention. “As nobility, you are to be addressed as ‘Sir’ unless they are of equal or greater rank than you. You now have authority over the soldiers in the castle within reason. You will also be provided with a monthly stipend of money. I don’t know how much, but I will ask for you” he finished the first order of business.

They seemed interested in the power they had gained and waited for him to tell them more. “I’m now going to address earlier. It is never acceptable to take someone by force. I forbid it. I do understand that as demons you do have urges to mate, regardless if you wish to have offspring result from it” Joel said sternly. The nagas did not enjoy that. Ralmen and Sargrin looked upset and sad, but Varazin looked defiant. “As knights, I believe it would be fine if you were to seek out a partner through courting” he said. They looked confused and Joel explained what courting was in brief detail. “So if we find a female that wants to mate with us, we need to visit her and give her presents before we can marry?” Ralmen asked. Joel nodded when Sargrin asked if they could only marry one person. Joel said that was the way the country worked. “Is there no such thing as concubines here? In the Demon Country we were the spawn of a concubine. Our sire was Master Blixhud, a devil” Sargrin said with pride. Joel said “There is if you do great feats in military campaigns. They will give the most beautiful virgins to the men who did the best, in whatever way they determine such things. And even then, it will probably be only one unless you are a siege master. And the last time you tried to attack a city, it did not end too well”. The nagas blushed grey with embarrassment. 

Varazin composed himself and cockily said “Who even needs a puny human female like that for a mate anyway? There’s no way she could take my manhood inside her”. The others nodded sadly in agreement. Joel raised his eyebrows and said “And you think I could? That is your best option if you want to mate”. Varazin asked “Why don’t we get some servants instead? We do get some right?”. Joel nodded and said “That is called being a squire. They serve knights in the hopes that they learn from them how to be a knight. If you want, we can go into the town and we can find one for you two. Sargrin lost his match so he is Sir Maximil’s squire. When he comes to see him he is going to follow him and train with him”. “So you let yourself become some human’s servant? And you thought you could be leader!” Varazin said with such loathing in his voice it was hard not to come to Sargrin’s defence. He held back though. This was a personal battle for him.

Eventually, Joel had to open the chapel and told them to stay in their room unless Sir Maximil called out to Sargrin or until Joel returned. At noon, he left the chapel in the capable hands of his brother and returned to the naga’s room. Joel could see Sir Maximil approach from the opposite end of the hallway. Joel hailed him and smiled as he stopped in front of the door. The knight returned the warm greeting and asked if he Sargrin was ready. “I’ve already explained the situation to him. He should be inside their room now” he said as he opened the door. As soon as the door was opened all the way Sargrin shot out the room and tried to slither his way past them. “Sargrin stop! What happened?” Joel called out. Sargrin hissed as he froze in place and turned his head to them. “Oh, I… didn’t see you two there” he said nervously. Maximil was not amused. “I thought that you were ready to take responsibility for your loss. I guess a demon like you needs to learn by feeling”. 

Sargrin bristled and said “There’s no way some human like you is better than me. If we fought again, I’d eat you without a glamor”. Joel just frowned at the naga and said “Sargrin, I told you yesterday that you have to do this. I respect you so I didn’t force you. Please don’t embarrass me in front of everyone”. Sargrin closed his eyes as he balled and released his fists over and over again. They stood and waited for his response. Sargrin hissed and turned back to him. “I will go with you. If you don’t treat me well, I’m going to eat you” he said with gritted teeth. Joel smiled and said “Thank you for understanding. Listen to Sir Maximil’s instructions and you will learn how to be a good knight”. He looked sad and asked Joel if that was an order. “It’s just a suggestion. Don’t make me need to limit you” was the reply as Joel went in the room and saw the others were listening in on the conversation. Ralmen asked “Joel, does he really have to be his servant?”. Joel just nodded and said it was the way it needed to be.

Varazin huffed and demanded to go outside and look for a squire of his own. Joel nodded and told him to wait until he changed his clothes. After he changed into something comfortable, he returned and lead the nagas out of the castle. They looked around, but as expected, most of the villagers ran away. They were not comfortable to have Varazin and Ralmen so close. Joel was tempted to ask where the nearest orphanage was when he heard some children getting rowdy nearby. He followed the sound and the nagas followed him down an alleyway. When they were met by an open courtyard where dozens of children were jumping about in a circle watching two older boys in the middle fist fight. One boy had red hair and green eyes and some missing teeth while he other had black hair and blue eyes with a bloody nose. “Which of the boys do you think is going to win? Maybe one will impress one of you” Joel whispered to the nagas. They silently nodded. The redhead punched the other boy on the chin and knocked him unconscious. All the spectators cheered, groaned and surrounded the two. The friends of the redhead lifted him on their shoulders while the black haired boy was slapped in the face and shook until he regained consciousness again. 

Joel and the nagas moved further into the courtyard. The boys saw them and froze. Before they could bolt in different directions, Joel held his hand out and spoke up. “I am Joel Cassandrason, the Court Chaplin of the castle and a Companion that helped kill the Demon Lord”. He lifted his shirt and showed the sigil for proof. The boys were impressed and took a couple of steps closer to get a better look at him. “Today I am here on behalf of my charges behind me. These are my two demons who earned knighthood in the arena the other day. This is Sir Ralmen and Sir Varazin” he continued. One of the boys shouted out “Demons can’t be knights!”. Another said “Oi! I was there and saw it with my dad. Shut up!”. Joel smiled and said “They expressed their interest in having a squire. Would any of you like to volunteer? There are several benefits”. Many of the boys started jumping up begging to be picked. When the redhead stood in front of them, the crowd went quiet. “What benefits?” he asked.

Ralmen said “Joel said that you get to learn to be a knight”. Joel nodded and the boys oohed and aahed at the prospect. “You also therefore get to live in the castle and will be educated on other useful things such as reading, writing, and math”. The learning had a distinct lack of enthusiasm from the boys, but they couldn’t deny it was something they could only dream of doing. Joel turned to the nagas and said “They will be under you protection and will be your responsibility. Go meet them and choose one that pleases you. Don’t hurt them”. They nodded and slithered up to them. Some of the boys were eager to be taken as squires. Others were just interested in them as demons. A brave set of boys would poke and run their hands along their tails and marvel at them. Ralmen would grin at them, but Varazin used his tail to shove them away. Some of the boys even came up to Joel. They thought that it would be easier to convince him of their worthiness. 

After talking to the three boys for a while, he decided to give some of them one chance. “If you boys can answer my riddle, I will take you on” They looked at each other excited. “I’m tall when I’m young and I’m short when I’m old. What am I?” The older boys looked confused and thought hard about it. The youngest beamed in recognition and practically jumped up and said “I know the answer! I know it! It’s a candle!”. Joel smiled and said it was correct. The older boys glared at him and said he cheated. “I didn’t! Lucy told me the answer!” he said and stomped. The boys pointed and said “See! He didn’t know!”. Joel simply said “Knowledge is simply the memory of learning. If he remembered the answer, he did know it”. They looked defeated and the winner was still beaming. Joel turned to him and said “Wisdom is taking knowledge and using it to solve problems in the world. I will give you the first chance. If you can explain why it’s a candle, I will take you. If not, I’ll give the others a try”.

He thought for a minute and stared at the ground. He looked up at him and really strained as he thought about the question. He began to tear up and soon he was sobbing. Joel hugged him in order to console him. He looked at the other two. They also thought about it. One also gave up and shrugged. The other perked up. “I get it now! New ones are taller. They get smaller when you use them up, right?”. Joel smiled and said “That is true. Would you like to be my squire and live with me in the castle?”. He accepted really quickly. Joel looked down to the youngest and said “You knew the answer. I want to reward you as well. Come and be my apprentice. I will teach you many things. Is that okay with you?” He stopped crying and nodded. Joel looked to the nagas to see what they were doing. Ralmen was still talking to them and smiling. Varazin was feeling the boys around him and seeing how strong they were. “I’m choosing this human” he said as he held the arm of the red headed fighter. Ralmen was jolted from his conversation and looked at the boys in front of him. He picked a boy seemingly at random. “I guess I’ll take this human then” he said.

Joel took them all back to the castle and got them settled. He then learned all the names of the boys they brought back. His squire was named Ryden and his new apprentice was Isen. The squire Ralmen picked was a mousey boy named Lyle and the redhead was named Henry. All of them were dirty and in rags. Joel took them to the baths and made sure to see that they were cleaned and smelled nice. They had varying degrees of wounds, muscle, and malnourishment visible on their bodies. They were amazed at practically everything they saw, although the older boys tried their best not to show it. Joel had the servants bring them all new clothes and while they were nothing special, for them it was probably the best clothes they ever wore. The joy on their faces as they strutted around and showed off to one another. He led them back to the room the nagas were waiting. “There is a bed they don’t use unless they are relaxing on it. I think that both Henry and Lyle can sleep here. I will find a space for Ryden and Isen” Joel said. They all nodded and Varazin laughed.   
Varazin slithered over to the bed and laid across it. He rolled over on his back and exposed his underside and said “Now that I finally have a servant, come here and prove you deserve to be here. Come and lick my manhood”. Henry looked enraged and turned to Joel. “What the hell is he talking about!? I ain’t doing that!” he yelled. Joel was also confused. “I told you that squires are not mates or concubines” he said to the naga. “Hey, he’s mine now. If he wants to stay, he has to follow my rules” was the reply. Joel looked down at him from where he was standing. It was disgusting to him and he made no effort to hide it. “If that was your intention all along, I will not let you toy around with Henry. Either take this seriously or dismiss him”. Varazin hissed at him. “Why do you even care about this child? Fine! Send him back” he said. Joel was about to apologize to him when Henry spoke up. “No! Fuck that! I’m not fucking going anywhere now after these clothes”. He slowly walked up to him and Varazin smiled.

Henry grabbed the naga by his shirt and pushed their heads together. “One day, I’m gonna be strong enough to kill you. You better get fucking ready!”. Joel couldn’t help but chuckle. They both glared at him. “I’m sorry. Varazin said the same thing to me. You two might have more in common than you might realize. Varazin you will train with him and help him grow as best you can starting tomorrow. The same for you Ralmen” he said in between giggles before getting serious. “What are you waiting for Henry? On your knees” Varazin hissed, satisfied with the results. Henry glared at him as he slowly did so. Joel could see where things were going and told the other boys to leave the room. “The boys have to sleep here. Don’t make a mess on the bed. If you do, I will punish you and let Henry watch”. He hissed as Joel left. Ralmen also followed them out. Ryden said “So, is that what we have to look forward to? Even the guys who sold themselves got paid!”. The others were quiet and looked quite shaken up about what had transpired. “Not from me and Ralmen won’t do that either. I’ll tell him not to touch any of you when I next see him” Joel said resolutely. “Yeah, I won’t. I think he’s going farther than he needs to” Ralmen agreed. Lyle sighed in relief. 

A room was prepared for Ryden and Isen and soon it was dinner. Joel decided to take them all down to the dinning hall and secured meals for all of them. Even Ralmen had some pudding and mead. Joel also took a meal up to the naga’s room for Henry. When they opened the door, they saw Henry on the floor glaring up at the ceiling. His stomach was poking out way further than it was before. “He swallowed my seed. I’m sure he won’t be hungry for a while” Varazin chuckled lewdly. Joel walked over to Henry and offered him a tankard of mead. He snatched it and drank it all in one go. He gasped as he was done and threw the tankard across the floor. “It was so hot and tasted like shit! I fucking hate him” he said with clenched fists. Joel rubbed circles on his back and said “You don’t need to stay. The boys wouldn’t blame you”. Henry glared at him and pushed him away. “I didn’t do that for nothing!” he yelled before he covered his mouth. Joel pulled out the chamberpot from under the bed and handed it to him. Henry threw up most of what was in his stomach. 

Joel waited for him to finish and told him to go rinse out his mouth before eating. He nodded and walked out of the room. Joel followed him out to get him water and more mead. He also emptied the chamberpot. After returning Henry to his room he told Varazin the other boys were not to be touched. Varazin was displeased, but Joel didn’t care. There was no mess, so there was no good reason to punish him. He bid Henry and Lyle goodnight before taking his new charges to their new room. He explained his schedule and told them that he was going to take them with him so they could see. “I am going to schedule time with Varazin and Ralmen so I can teach all of you boys. Isen, I will teach you even more beyond that” he said. They nodded and Joel then watched them get under the covers. He left and went to his own room. As he entered the room, he realised that he had not seen Sargrin since he left with Sir Maximil. He decided to go and look for them. It was a bit too much for the first day.

Outside in the training grounds, Joel found them practicing holding a sword. Sir Maximil had a bullwhip and would lash Sargrin for holding his sword wrong. “Sir Joel, to what do I owe the pleasure?” he asked. Joel looked between them and said “Has he displeased you in some way to warrant this treatment? This seems harsh”. The senior knight sighed and said “Like I thought earlier, he is one that learns by feeling. As a demon, his body does heal. I’ve given way more lashes than it would look at first glance”. Joel was a bit upset. “Regardless, there must be other ways of discipline” he said. Maximil conceded the point with a nod but made no apology. Joel then said “Seeing as it is getting late, I will take him. He will be ready for you tomorrow”. The knight sighed and bid him farewell. Sargrin hissed after him and threw his sword on the ground and turned to Joel. “I hate that human! I want to kill him so much. Joel, I’m really going to eat him”. Joel sighed as he inspected the naga’s wounds.

Like Maximil said, his wounds were already healing. His body still had blood staining his skin. It was very upsetting for Joel. “Come with me so I can clean your wounds. I also want to introduce you to the squires we have recruited”. He nodded and they left together. When he got a cloth, he rubbed down his back and chest. By then, his wounds had already closed. Sargrin sighed in relief when he was told and said “Joel, I want another big massage tonight. You owe me”. Joel shook his head no. Sargrin looked upset that he would be denied. “I will give you a massage, but I don’t owe you. You were the one who lost your match” Joel said. Sargrin hissed and roughly took Joel’s chin and said “I’m going to glamor you now. Please... don’t fight it”. He was practically begging him. Joel looked away and hugged him tightly. “I don’t want this Sargin” he said. Sargrin’s chest rumbled and his fists clenched and unclenched again. “You think people don’t talk. People laugh and scorn you. No one cares for you except your nestmates. Even your goddess hates you. Why are you letting them keep you down like this?” he demanded. Joel was truly shaken to the core and and snapped his eyes up to his. 

Joel shuddered as he was forced into a deep trance. He tried to fight it, but it was hard for him with his shaken heart. “Joel, we’ve all been practicing on our prey. I’m way stronger than the first time, so I won’t let you break free” he said darkly as he coiled around Joel. Joel was doing his very best to fight him, but it was certainly harder than before. Sargrin was surprised that he was fighting so hard and pulled the monk closer. “Joel, stop fighting me. You’re going to kill yourself if you keep this up!” he said in a strained voice. It was taking his full concentration to keep him in the trance and he slowly but surely losing his grip on Joel’s mind. Eventually, Joel broke his hold as he turned his head and gasped loudly. He then screamed as he covered his eyes. Joel felt his eyes bleed and burn and he almost fainted. The pain was almost too much for his mind. He couldn’t stop screaming. 

Sargrin was concerned for him and did his best to comfort him. The naga cooed and rubbed his back as he tightened his tail to stop Joel from thrashing around and hurting himself. As the pain finally wound down to a constant ache, Joel was able to regain his sanity. However, Joel quickly realized that he had been left blinded. He groaned and felt around Sargrin’s tail to orient himself in the void. “Let me go Sargrin. I have to find Brittany” he said. Sargrin freed him and asked if he needed help. Joel knew there was no way he could find her otherwise so he nodded. “Take me to her right now”. Sargrin lifted Joel onto his back and slithered forward with his arms securing the dangling legs of Joel. Sargin was eventually able to find her patrolling the walls of the castle as part of an evening stroll. “What did you do to him!? Bring him here!” Brittany said as soon as she saw them. 

Brittany laid her hands on him and restored Joel’s sight for him. Joel blinked and thanked her. “It is not a problem for me, but obviously you need to be more careful. What were you even thinking Joel, All the blood vessels in your eye burst. If you had waited, you would have lost at least one of your eyes for good” she admonished. Joel nodded in understanding. He had been too lenient with Sargrin. “Sargrin you are not allowed to glamor anyone unless you are eating or you are told otherwise by me. As punishment, you are not to speak at all for two months” he simply said with no room for pleading. Sargrin looked shocked, but he was already unable to reply. Brittany excused herself and continued on her stroll. Joel walked off to the naga’s room where the two squires were. Sargrin followed behind him and Joel made no effort to speak to him. When they got to the room, Joel introduced them to Sargrin. He also made sure to tell them all in detail what had happened and the punishment he received. 

No one objected in the slightest. Varazin was flippant and said “He should have realized by now that he is the weakest. Weaklings die when they try something like that. He’s lucky you’re weak too”. Sargrin glared at him but his stare held no power over him. Ralmen also looked coldly at him. He said “Joel said no the night before. You ignored him and now you have to be silent for a while. I agree with Varazin. I would do worse if I were Joel”. Henry looked at him and back at the others and said “So we’re sharing a room with all three of them? It’s going to get cramped in here”. Joel turned to him and replied. “They don’t use the bed so it will be fine”. Lyle just stayed quiet. Joel went to his room and went to sleep after getting into his nightwear. The next morning was spent in prayer, both in his room and in the chapel. What Sargrin had said was still greatly weighing on him. “Agrella, please do not forsake me. I wish nothing more than to please you and make you smile” he said sadly before the first visitors began to enter. At noon, he left the chapel and went to gather Ralmen, Varazin, their squires, Ryden and Isen. When he found all of them, he led them to an empty room that he had been allowed to use by the king. It was the room the Court Tutor tutored the children of the court in the mornings.

Joel stood in front of his class and smiled. “Does anyone know how to read or write in Common in here. Raise your hand” he prompted. No one did. He said “That’s fine. I will teach you all. You all will come here every afternoon to learn. You may choose whether you want to do your martial training before or after this”. They all nodded, some more enthusiastic than others. “Why should we learn that?” Varazin challenged. Joel said that they might need to read orders given by their superiors or want to send messages to others. The naga laughed. “If I need to do that, I’ll just do it in Infernal”. Joel looked very serious and asked “Are you serious? Can you really read and write in that language?”. He was very interested. Ralmen puffed his chest out. “We told you our sire was a devil. We might not have been favored by him, but we did learn those things in his court. We could teach you if you want”. Joel nodded immediately. “I will teach Common. Varazin will teach Infernal” he said before beginning his lesson on the alphabet.


	13. Chapter 13

The next five months went pretty smoothly. Isen worked with Joel in the mornings in the chapel for two hours everyday. Joel wanted to work more on his Magnum Opus and he could teach his charge about demons. Varazin was a harsh teacher for Infernal that was not afraid to hit any of them. Even Joel was not safe from verbal abuse if he got it wrong. The upside of the dangerous environment was that they all were able to grasp the basics and retain more information. Joel’s lessons on Common literacy were also well received. Every so often Vysel and Percival would join in for the lesson. Ryden, Lyle, and Henry were growing in martial training as well. The food, grooming and ample exercise made them fill out healthily and they looked more confident and attractive. Ryden trained with a short sword and shield. Lyle had a glaive like Ralmen. Henry used a spear and throwing knives.

Sargrin’s punishment was over after two months and he seemed repentant. He coiled around and around Joel and refused to let him go until he accepted his apology. Joel told him that he was forgiven the moment the punishment was over. Sargrin begged for a way to show him his repentance. Joel decided to tell him to spar with Ryden so they could demonstrate what they had learned and grow from the experience. They had fought energetically to an inconclusive draw to Sargrin’s frustration. “Why can’t I defeat a single human!? I swear I’m way better than this Joel” he said. The other nagas looked upset and berated him. Joel nodded to him and did his best to be understanding. He knew very well that Sargrin had his own rough training with a very strict Sir Maximil. The knight would whip him for the smallest mistake or slight. It did not help that Sargrin was naturally insubordinate and prone to disrespect. Joel would complain when he found them late in the evening bickering over a punishment, but he did not interfere with their relationship.

One day, Henry came to Joel in the middle of the night and woke him up. Joel sat up and smiled tiredly at him. “I’m sick and tired of dealing with that pervert snake. I know you can break their glamor. Tell me how to do it”. Joel blinked at him for a moment. “Varazin is a demon. His powers seem to originate at his eyes. The nagas all have hypnosis” he said before a big yawn. Henry looked expectantly and said “So they can control people? How do you beat that? There has to be a way”. Joel shook his head. “No. That is not their power. Although, I do suspect that will be their new ability if they advance. Hypnosis puts you in a trance that makes you open to do things. It takes the limits off, almost as if drunk. They can’t force you to do anything you would not normally do”. Henry shook Joel as he was dozing off. This was the most sleepy Joel had been in years. “How do you break it?” he asked again. 

Joel looked at him and said “A resolute heart and strong will. You can try brute force, but without a calm mind you will destroy yourself. I lost both my eyes before Brittany laid her hands on me to heal them. That’s why I punished Sargrin”. Henry looked thoughtfully at him and excused himself. Joel fell asleep almost immediately after he left the room. When he woke up again, he felt a weight on his body pressing down on him. He was also very hot. He struggled to open his eyes and saw Vysel smiling down at him. Joel shuddered in fear and revulsion, but there was nothing he could do in his weakened state. “You fell ill at the worst time Joel. I wanted to feed on you before my child was born so I could be there for its mother, but it would probably kill you” he said smiling. Joel could barely talk and asked what he meant. “Human females are soft and a nice change from the males I feed on most of the time. It seems I sired a child with one” he said nonchalantly. It took all the willpower in Joel to push him off.

After he got up out of bed, he stumbled to the door. The incubus sighed and said “Humans really are funny. They can do anything they set their minds to, yet the slightest illness nearly destroys them”. He then lifted Joel and carried him to another wing of the castle. In the small room, a midwife was attending to a woman. Brittany and Percival were also there watching. When he arrived, he said “Joel was ill so I had to carry him”. Brittany laid hands on him and Joel felt better in an instant. Percival said “Keep your magic for the girl. I didn’t learn any healing spells from my teacher. I doubt anyone would enjoy me raising her from the dead”. Brittany looked insulted and replied “I’d cut you down if you tried. I can channel my god’s blessings more than once, thank you very much”. Joel asked what they were both doing. They made no secret that they did not enjoy the other’s company. “It seemed like I might learn something if I watched. It’s not everyday one can see the birth of a demon-human hybrid” Percival said.

Brittany shook her head and said “I overheard the commotion and investigated. I am going to ensure the safety of the mother and if the child is a danger…” she trailed off. Vysel growled and stood in front of her. “I won’t let you harm my offspring” he said. She smiled and her hand went to the hilt of her sword silently. The young woman groaned and Joel got a closer look at her. It was the maid Vysel was fooling around with the day Varazin and Sargrin fought. “I was going to force you to give me some energy so I could share it with her” he said as he pointed at her. “Did you force yourself on her?” Joel accused. Vysel frowned and showed off his body. “Look at me. I don’t need to force anyone. Only you guys resist me, and even Percival lets me feed on him when he gets lonely” he said. Percival struck him on the bottom and said “Attend to her as best you can”. Vysel moaned and walked over to her.

He looked at her and said “Woman. I’m going to give you some of my power. I won’t let you feel any pain”. The maid weakly nodded and reached out to him and Vysel held her hands to his face. “It hurts so much. I feel like I’m going to die. Help me”. He chuckled and smiled at her. “I’ll do my best”. He entwined his fingers with hers and gave her a kiss on the forehead. A small blush came through the paleness of her face as she sighed in relief. Soon after she went into contractions. The midwife held on to her arm and told her to push. The maid did and Vysel held her hand tighter as he poured more power into her. “I can see the head. Keep going Allie!” she said. The maid strained with a brief cry and the baby was born as she sat up and quivered. She began to pant in exhaustion and pleasure before her body fell back to the bed. The midwife slapped the baby on the bottom an it began to cry. “It’s a healthy boy” she smiled at the two as she turned to clean off the blood and filth. 

It was then Vysel collapsed. Percival rushed over to him and asked what was wrong. He grimaced as he was raised in a sitting position. “I put too much energy into her. I was already hungry, but now I’m starving” he growled. Percival tried to help him in the bed beside the weak maid. “Stop. I’ll drain all the life out of her if I stay with her too long” he said. He looked over at the midwife and said “Let me see my offspring”. She finished cleaning him and gazed over him closely. He then smiled and lifted his son in the air. “He is a half demon. I can smell the humanity on him. I also sense a tiny shard of a core along with a soul inside him”. He looked pleased with himself. The maid reached for him and looked tenderly at her son. “He has the same colored eyes you do. And my nose” she marveled. The incubus nodded and said “You did well woman. When I am fed, I’ll come back to reward you” he said seductively. The midwife shooed him out of the room. “They’ll be no rewards for some weeks here demon”. She then sighed and said “I guess I’m old enough to be called a grandmother”. The maid looked at her mother and smiled brightly. 

Percival sighed and turned to the rest. “I’ll go and feed Vysel now. I don’t trust him not to kill his next partner with how hungry he is. He’s never collapsed before”. He left the room and Brittany and laid hands on Allie. Color immediately returned to her and she was amazed. She was going to say something when she was halted by a furry hand on her lips. “Don’t thank me. You should thank the Beast God. Pray for your soul. A half demon is not something I would countenance if not for the fact that the demons in the castle have been largely tamed” she said pointedly, looking from Allie to Joel. He had the courtesy to blush and look embarrassed. Allie also looked properly rebuked as she held her son. Brittany and Joel looked at them one last time and left the room. Joel went to Isen and roused him awake to bring him to the chapel. They studied together for some time before Lyle burst into the chapel. “You need to come right away. They’re fighting in our room!” he said almost out of breath.

They all rushed back to the room and threw open the door. Ralmen was looking very concerned for the two in the center of the room before he turned to them. “Henry challenged Varazin out of nowhere as we were getting ready to go train” he said. Varazin was staring closely in his eyes and there was beads of sweat him his forehead. “Damn it Henry! Stay still and stop fighting me!” he hissed. Henry was also straining to free himself. Everyone watched in silence as they battled their wills. Henry was able to break his gaze and fell to his knees. He gasped in the air he did not know he was holding. Varazin was furious and he said “Henry! You stupid stupid boy! I don’t know how you cheated me, but I’m going to eat you”. Joel stopped him and said “No. You lost fairly. Don’t punish him”. Henry began to laugh and stood up again. “I won. You know what that means”. Varazin was silent. Joel looked at him and asked what was. Varazin was still silent when Henry spoke up. “I’m sick of sucking off the pervert snake. I told him if I could break all that hypnosis shit you told me about, I could make him drink mine in” he said. 

Joel looked quizzically at Henry. “You want him to suck your penis, Henry” he said to make sure he properly understand him. Henry shook his head and said “Nope! He’s going to drink it in from his other hole. Isen was telling me about that thing. I think it was a moaca”. Joel corrected him and looked to Varazin. “Why would you agree to something like that?” he asked. “... He said that he would let me mate with him if he lost. I thought there was no way he could win. I didn’t know that you were just telling others how to beat us. No wonder Sargrin can’t win. You probably told others what his weaknesses are!” the red naga yelled. Joel looked at him and said “Do you want me to save you? I can do that if you ask me”. He looked surprised at Joel and tilted his head in confusion. “I have to protect you. If you really don’t want this and were tricked into it, I would consider this rape and save you” Joel explained. Henry yelled and said “Hey, fuck you Joel! You know I wouldn’t do that. I have cousins that are girls!”

Varazin also looked insulted. “Never! I’m not some weakling that can be taken advantage off like that. If you do that it would make me look weak” he said. Joel just looked at him and said “Then you can do one of two things. Lie on the bed and let Henry have his prize as a victory or ask me to protect you”. Varazin looked really conflicted between Henry and Joel. Joel smirked and walked closer. “Tell the truth now. You really want me to save you”. Varazin bit his arm as hard as he could and glared at me. It was all he needed to know. “Varazin, I can’t help if you don’t say anything”. Black blood ran down his arm as he slithered over to the bed. He glared at Henry and he smirked as he approached the bed. He loosened his trousers and pulled them down. “See? I won and he wants to drink in my juice” he said. Joel shook his head and stepped back. “Are you really going to do this Henry?” he asked one last time. Henry nodded and asked him where his cloaca was. Joel pointed it out and Henry traced the area with a finger.

The underside of Varazin’s tail was pink. “For someone with two dicks two feet long, you have a fucking girly tail. Look at this” he chuckled. Varazin hissed through his arm. He knew he couldn’t free his mouth or he would beg Joel to save him. The feeling of having his cloaca stroked sent a shiver down his spine and Henry smiled wider at him. “Move back on the bed. I ain’t leaning over the floor if I don’t have to”. Varazin scooted back and allowed Henry on the bed. By now his cloaca was puffy and engorged gray from the stimulation. Henry’s erection rubbed against his entrance before he stuck two fingers inside. Varazin shifted in discomfort but held firm as Henry lazily prepared him. “Last fucking chance, pervy snake. Are you going to take me like a man, or cry for him like a little girl?” he gloated. Varazin sank his fangs further in his arm in defiance as he glared at both of them.

Henry slowly straddled his tail and placed his manhood at the entrance of his cloaca. He thrust inside without warning. When he bottomed out in the naga he gave a single laugh. “Damn, this is so tight. Lyle, you have to try this” he said as he began to keep rhythm. After seven minutes, he said “I’m getting close pervert. You better get ready to drink me in”. He then thrusted into him deeply and orgasmed. He flopped on top of Varazin and panted as his hips still moved to get completely through his pleasure. His body was glazed in sweat and glowing. His hair was dishevelled. Varazin had his arm out of his mouth from three minutes before. He scoffed at the boy and said “Is that it? That’s what humans call mating? I didn’t even feel a single twitch in my manhood”. Henry looked at him through his hair and said “I ain’t get off when you made me suck you either”. Varazin hissed at him and said “Get out of me. Your seed is way too weak to reach my eggs”. Joel looked at him quizzically. “Varazin, I don’t understand. Do you have eggs? You’re male, aren’t you?”. He looked at Joel as if he was dimwitted. “All male demons can sire and spawn offspring. It matters on the power difference” he said. Ralmen also spoke up. “Vysel for example mates with males alot, but no one in the castle aside from you, Percival, and Gregory is strong enough to force his body to spawn”.

The confidence on Varazin’s face was certain. “I told Joel already before we picked you from the gutter. No human can ever satisfy me. I won’t spawn for any of you. Especially Joel. His seed is so weak he decided he would never mate with anyone”. Henry grinned at him and said “If you’re so sure, I bet you won’t mind a second round then”. Varazin said “You could thrust in me for a full year and fill me with all your pathetic seed, and it still wouldn’t work”. Henry began thrusting again and Varazin just laughed at him. Joel got in the bed with Varazin and looked at the naga with curiosity. “What do you want?” Varazin snapped at him. “It would be better for my research should you give birth. I wonder what I could do to help Henry”. Varazin’s eyes widened and he hissed. “You wouldn’t dare-” he started, but was caught off as Joel turned to Ralmen and asked him. Ralmen thought and looked nervously at Joel.

His answer was to overwhelm him so he couldn’t stop the seed from reaching his eggs. Joel lost interest in doing such things. It wouldn’t be proper to do that. After two minutes, Lyle jumped on the bed and said “I can help out. I’ve seen Joel give you guys enough massages to know where your weak points are”. “So what Lyle? I won’t lose to two humans that haven’t even grown to adulthood yet” he said, less confidently. Lyle massaged his scalp. It seemed that Varazin was unable to keep the blush off his face. “You’re tightening up. You close?” Henry grunted as his trusts slowed down to stay inside him. “So you made my manhood react a bit. That doesn’t mean anything”. Lyle smiled at him impishly and said “Ralmen told me your weakest spot when he asked me for a massage” as he trailed his hand along his tail to the tip. Varazin gasped as he gripped it in his hands and ran his thumb over it. He tried to free it from him, but Lyle held on tightly. The massage made Varazin moan and squirm in pleasure. 

One of his erections slipped out the cloaca as Henry pulled out, due to the extreme tightness inside him. Before Varazin could gloat, Henry shoved himself inside again. “Now there’s some more space to move” he said. Varazin moaned loudly as he was entered again. Joel could see that it was going to end in a huge mess and got off the bed. “I won’t spawn for you so just give up” the naga said in defiance as he squirmed and panted. It was several more minutes of hard thrusting before Henry grunted out “I’m getting close again”. Lyle nodded and put the tip in his mouth and sucked on it as he massaged the parts just outside his mouth. Varazin loudly screamed and ejaculated from the free erection, getting his dark gray seed all over Henry and the bed. Moments later, Henry grunted as he released inside the naga for the second time. He smirked up at the panting and quivering naga and said “Are you sure you won’t have my baby now?”. Varazin didn’t respond to him.

Ralmen slithered over and looked concerned for his nestmate. “Were you able to stop his seed from reaching too deep?” he asked. Varazin looked at Ralmen and said “Mostly. Maybe a few drops got past me, but there’s no way seed that weak will break through to my eggs” after he closed his eyes and thought about it. Henry looked to give Lyle a handshake, but Lyle said “I’m not getting anywhere near you. You smell and you have all that snake juice on you”. Henry stopped smiling and said “You’re right! This is disgusting!” Joel cleared his throat. “This was interesting. Now it is time to get back to our routines. Henry you can be in charge of explaining this to the maids and servants that ask. Go clean yourself up and then get back to work. I will see you all later in the classroom” he said before he took Isen with him back to the chapel. As soon as he got there, he sat at one of the pews and prayed. It had been a rough few hours for him and he sighed. Just as he was about to address Isen about the day’s lesson, Allie and her mother entered the chapel. The baby was sleeping and the two women were hushed. They seemed hesitant. 

Joel rose to meet them and greeted them warmly. “Allie was feeling really well since that lionkin lady touched her. We wanted to have a naming ceremony for the boy” Allie’s mother said. Joel smiled and nodded. He walked over to the Tome of Ceremony and opened it up. “This will be my first ceremony” he said excitedly. He prepared the incense and the scroll for the hybrid child. He cleared his throat and all four left the chapel. Joel held a thurible and let Isen fill it up halfway with the incense. Joel then walked forward with Isen at his side. He was followed by Allie and the baby and her mother was last. After every five steps Joel swung the thurible twice as was the custom. When he got to the altar he censed it and turned. Isen stood at his side as the midwife sat down and Joel censed the new mother and child. Isen took the thurible and hung it before sitting down on the pew opposite to the woman. Joel continued the ceremony as it was written.

As he got to the part where the baby was to named he said “In the sight of the Allfather and the loving patronage of Agrella this child shall be named. A name is a person and follows them for their life. Good woman, declare the name of your child”. Allie decided to name him Sebastian and raised him high above her head. “Beloved congregation, greet Sebastian” Joel said and the two in the pews rose and clapped. Sebastian stirred awake and Allie quickly brought him to her chest and cooed at him. Joel ended the ceremony and the four of the marveled over the baby in the sweet smelling smoke filling the chapel. The doors opened again and Vysel was standing outside covering his nose. “Give me my child woman” he demanded. Allie brought him out and told him about the ceremony. Vysel looked upset. “I wanted to name him. I don’t like that you did this without me. I should punish you for this”. Allie’s mother pushed her way in between them. “If you think you can mess with my daughter in front of me, you’re wrong!” she yelled in his face. It seemed he was uncomfortable with her and stepped back.

Vysel looked at them and said “Percival and some poor guards fed me. If I wanted, I could have all of you on the ground begging for me. I want to look at my offspring”. Allie handed him the child and smiled at him. “Yes. I can definitely feel it. It is so faint, but he has a demon core inside him”. Allie asked him where it was and he pointed to Sebastian’s right eye. “Right there. I doubt he’ll see out of the eye. We’ll need to protect it so he doesn’t get killed easily” Vysel said. Joel did agree that something should be done but said “We should watch out for this. As a hybrid, we can’t be too sure. No one would try to put out a baby’s eye, but we should still keep this a secret for his sake”. Everyone nodded and Sebastian began to cry. “He’s hungry” Allie’s mother said as soon as he did. Vysel said “I’ll have to go and find some souls for him to eat”. The others were horrified. “Sebastian is an incubus like me. He’ll probably be really weak, so I need to help him until he can seduce others on his own”. Allie snatched him back and said “He’s human too! I’ll feed him some milk”. They both looked at Joel for a decision. 

Joel thought for a moment and said “As a hybrid I don’t see why either would not work. Vysel you know that you are not to kill anyone in the castle. Maybe the prisoners marked for death will do, but you need to ask the king. For now we can see if he takes to human milk. If not I will help with the human souls”. They looked at him and nodded. It was a fair ruling from the monk and they both got what they wanted. The three of then went off together and Joel could see Jeremy pass them in his approach. “Who was that baby?” he asked. Joel explained what happened and his face had a clear frown. “That demon has children now. You know there are probably more that haven’t been born yet”. Joel thought about it. He did confide to Joel that he usually fed off males. That didn’t rule out more women. Joel left the chapel in Jeremy’s hands and he left with his apprentice to the classroom. 

Varazin had cleaned himself up and slithered to the front of the room. Henry was in the back of the class and was dozing. He began to teach and everyone applied themselves to learn. At some point Lyle looked at Ralmen and said “Hey. Do you want to try doing it? I bet I could put a baby in you”. Ralmen hissed and said no. “I don’t want that. You wouldn’t be able to reach any of my eggs anyway” he said. Lyle snuggled up to him and said “We can try”. Joel said “Ralmen said no. Respect his decision, or you’ll answer to me”. Ralmen sighed in relief and Lyle pouted in disappointment. Varazin hissed at them and said “Pay attention when I’m teaching you! Do you want me to squeeze you in my tail again”. Henry said “If you do, you’re going to crush the eggs”. “For the last time, I am not laying any eggs” the naga snapped. Henry looked at him seriously and said “I know it. The women in my family all know when they go pregnant from the very beginning. I got it too”. 

That made everyone go quiet. “Even if I did lay an egg, it wouldn’t even survive. Your seed is way too weak for offspring with a demon” he said nervously. Joel cleared his throat saying “We can only wait and see. Let’s listen to Varazin now”. That brought everyone’s attention back to the lesson. The lesson was a bit harsher than usual. It was probably due to his overall irritation with everyone. After the lesson they all went to train. Ryden was doing well and Joel thought that soon he could start sparing with some of the younger knights to get some more experience with combat. It was a weird time trying to describe what had happened with the others while he was still sleeping. He thought it was kind of gross to be having relations with the demons that way. Joel totally agreed with him and found it reassuring to speak about it. After the training session he found a book on his desk. It had a note on top of it from his master. He wanted to give a manual to show some techniques and feats of the most powerful monks. Joel was pretty excited and wanted to try some of them out for himself. He looked at the book for an hour until a servant knocked on his door. He had forgotten the time around him and received his dinner with a small smile. 

He went to go get Sargrin and make sure that he was done for the day. Sargrin was laying on the floor panting when Joel arrived. Sir Maximil was standing over him and held a whip. “Get up demon. Don’t make me sit on you again”. Sargrin lifted his head, but he was too tired to even hiss at the knight. Joel sighed and said “I’ve come to collect him. I can take him back to his room if you wish to go”. Maxilil glanced at the naga under him and then said “He is still so disobedient that I can’t teach him much”. Joel gave him a hard look and said “Sir, I had your word you would teach him to the best of your ability and not abuse him. It seems to me that you are failing both him and me. If I could give some advice, instead of trying to break his spirit you should engage him openly and honestly”. He looked offended and walked off. Joel crouched down next to the prone naga and rubbed his back gently. Sargrin winced while the wounds on his back slowly healed. It seemed like it was worse than other sessions.

Sargrin looked up to him and asked if he could stop being his squire. Joel sadly shook his head and said “I am close to saying you can, but I have to give him a chance as he is teaching you as he sees fit. I did notice that you have been steadily improving under him”. He looked defeated and hung his head. “I’m never going to overcome any humans at this pace” he muttered. It was the main fear that made him uneasy and so confrontational in the first place. Joel helped him up and led him to the room. On the way he told him what happened with Varazin and Sargrin got angry. “That’s not fair. When I did it I lost my voice for two months. Why does Varazin get no punishments!?” he demanded. Joel explained what happened next and the naga replied “There is no way he is going to lay eggs”. They made it back to the room and saw the three squires near Ralmen smiling. Ralmen looked uncomfortable until he saw Joel. 

It appeared that they were trying to convince him to tumble with them. Varazin was looking on at him and smiling. “Joel! Tell them to calm down” Ralmen begged. Joel sighed deeply and nodded. He said “Ryden, stop messing with him. Lyle and Henry, he said no. I will castrate you if you touch him. He is mine to protect”. The boys pouted and gave him his space. Sargrin smirked and said “Are you scared of them all of a sudden? You’re the knight”. Ralmen hissed and replied “I am way too fond of Joel for that. There isn’t anyone who can compare to him. How do you feel about Joel?”. Sargrin’s face fell and he said “He’s the most important person to me. I wouldn’t even let you have him if he could mate”. Ralmen said he felt the same way. Ryden chuckled and said “You are popular all of a sudden”. Joel shook his head and said he was really flattered they felt that way, but he really couldn’t respond to their feelings.

They seemed understanding enough due to his continued persistence. Joel sent Ryden to bed before wishing the rest of them good night. He went over to ensure Ryden and Isen were okay and made sure that they were in bed. Joel smiled on his way to bed when he saw Vysel at his door. He smiled at him and said “I want to talk to you”. Joel took a look at him and crossed his arms. Vysel shifted and said “I was thinking about my offspring. He is going to be weak. It’s not his fault being born from a woman”. He looked melancholic. Joel waited him to continue his speech. “If I spawned a child with you or Gregory, it would still be a half incubus, but it would be stronger with my core sustaining it”. Joel asked him why he couldn’t have a child with Percival and he shuddered in disgust. Vysel testily said “The necromancy he uses warps all the seed. It’s still powerful enough to keep me full, but I still have my pride. I won’t birth some ugly thing. How will it capture prey like that?”.

Joel walked passed him and reached for his door. He felt Vysel tightly latch around his waist and turned his head to look at him. The incubus looked as meek and cute as he could and asked if he could join him in bed. Joel gently removed his arms from his waist and told him to leave. He pouted and pressed closer to him. “I want to have your child. I see you with your family. You can love our child too, you know” he said. Joel frowned and said “Vysel, don’t you dare say anything like that. I don’t like you, but if you keep going I’ll grow to hate you”. Vysel looked surprised and quickly said “I don’t understand. I still have the hairpin you gave me. You have to feel something for me”. Joel ignored him and opened the door. “If I made you hate me, it wouldn’t feel any different than now” Vysel said with a growl. Joel replied “I still treat you with the same respect I give to my prisoners or any human. That can stop”. He stepped inside and tried to close the door behind him. Vysel blocked the door and said “I want to feed my offspring. I need lots of energy for that. Help me”

His plea went unanswered as Joel pushed him out the way and shut the door quickly. He made sure to latch the door and prepared for bed. During the night he had a nightmare that filled him with terror. He woke up in a cold sweat, but he could already feel the nightmare fade from his memory. He calmed himself and fell asleep again. This time his rest was dark and restless. He felt uneasy as he got dressed. He went to go get Isen and to his surprise Isen was already up and waiting for him. As they got to the chapel they worked on the Magnum Opus. He needed to add what he learned about males being able to reproduce. At some point, Gregory visited the chapel. “I have been thinking of the demon raid we here caught in. What if they made their way to Parcel” he began. Joel nodded in agreement. “I agree. They say the loss of the Demon Lord drives some of the higher level demons mad. 

Gregory placed an encouraging hand on Joel’s shoulder. He proposed that they go and take on the rabid demons in order to quell the raids and build legend. ”I feel so restless here in the castle. I really believe that it would be good to go out keep our blades sharp. You agree with me, don’t you Joel?” he said gazing warmly as he held eye contact. Joel was totally unprepared for such attention and blushed furiously. Gregory smiled and said “I will get the others and the blessing of my grandfather. Prepare your prisoners and the children. They can come with us as well”. Joel blinked and asked if it was appropriate to bring them. Isen jumped up and begged to go. It was set and Joel conceded. “When do we leave Gregory? I need to prepare food and clothing for everyone as well as tell my family where I’m going”. Gregory said that the sooner they left would be better. Joel stood up and bowed to him. “I will work on the preparations right away”. Gregory gave him his eyeless smile and walked away. Isen waited for the prince to leave before turning to Joel.

He asked “You want to fuck the prince Joel?” in confusion. Joel jumped and denied it furiously in front of him. He told him about the sigil and the magical bond between Hero and Companions that happened throughout history. Isen smiled and said “So the Hero gets a bunch of strong people to fall in love with him? That’s nice”. It was clear that he was not going to drop it. “Do not say a thing to anyone. I can handle my emotions and I do not need anyone to interfere with my relationships”. Isen seemed to actually drop it for the moment. They went around to tell everyone what was going on. He got some pushback from the nagas. “Why do we need to go back and kill demons?” Varazin demanded. Joel told them that they could keep all the cores they find. Sargrin sighed deeply and said “Do you think I can do it? Maybe I could kill demons better than humans”. The squires were ready and eager to face some danger. Ralmen was fine with it as long as Joel was there with them for protection.

A month later everyone was ready to go. Gregory was the leader of the expedition. Brittany, Joel and Percival were also there. All for demons were going on the trip with them. Ryden, Isen, Lyle and Henry were carrying their weapons and were wearing leather armor. Percival had a wagon with two large crates and lots of food. Joel played around with his brother and sister. He had did his best to reconcile with his mother. Cassandra held him in her arms for a whole afternoon as he told her about his new mission. Jane and Sir Walter were to be wed when they returned. He was able to wish them well the day before. Jeremy was left in charge of the chapel as the acting chaplin in Joel’s place. Everyone was prepared and the castle town cheered for them on the path out of the capitol. It was very excited and their chests were filled with pride and anticipation was rising.

Walking out of the city, they marched to the docks at the coast. They then all boarded the ship captained by Rear Admiral Neal and some of his original crew. He was dressed in all the finery befitting his new station and greeted the prince with a bow. He then rose and acted jovially with the prince. Gregory smiled and allowed himself to be led around by Neal and the crew that remained from the first voyage. “I’ve heard you were going back to fight more demons. Were the four you brought back not enough for you?” he chuckled. Gregory smiled a bit more genuinely and said “I thought there was unfinished business I needed to right. I couldn’t think of anyone that would be better for this trip than you”. Neal nodded sagely and went to check on his crew, cursing and swaggering about.

The ship was larger and faster than the first vessel so they were able to reach the ports of Snarl within days. As they docked in the evening. They decided to sleep on the ship until morning. At the crack of dawn Gregory marched everyone out and they made the trek past Hollowclaw and onto the ravine at the border to the demon country. It was getting late and the children were getting tired. Brittany said “We should camp here and take watch during the night. We wouldn’t want to be caught tired and unprepared on their home field of the demons”. Everyone agreed and she took the first watch. Joel took the next followed by Percival, Ryden, Lyle, Henry, and finally Isen. By the time Isen had finished his watch, Brittany and Joel had woken up. An hour later and Gregory woke the rest of them up and they thought about how they were going to cross the rope bridge. As they looked, they saw a large arched bridge about a mile away from them. They headed toward it and saw some demons resting on the other side. Gregory told them to be quiet as they crossed to kill them.

Killing the minor demons was almost too easy. After they dissipated to dust, Joel and Percival picked them up. Joel showed them off to the children. “I suggest if you find cores like these, give them to your knight. They might appreciate you for it”. He turned to Sargrin and said “I will be giving you most of the ones I find since you don’t have a helper”. Sargrin nodded while Ralmen and Varazin looked envious. Percival was able to drive his wagon over the bridge without any problems. Firmly in the demon country, Gregory told them they should go until the supplies had depleted to half. “Vysel told me that the demons don’t need to eat in the demon country. It stems from the energy in the air. The rations are for the mortals among us”. Gregory smiled and said “I see. This means our timeline has been slightly extended”. With that, they set off in a straight line. Moving as a large group had some advantages in that they had full coverage of their closest surroundings. However the large presence made it hard for their stated goal of killing the demons. Many demons could be seen looking or peeking out at them from a distance. However, none came close to warrant engaging them.

By the time they were ready to set up camp they had not had a single encounter. “Don’t worry. It seems that this area is filled with the weaker demons. As we go further we should meet some worthy challenges. We might even find leads to a greater enemy” Gregory said as they ate. All of the Companions nodded in agreement. They demons looked incredibly pleased and moved a bit ahead, but not out of sight. When they returned it was time to set watch for the night. Sargrin volunteered and everyone agreed to let him do it. He was followed by Varazin, Ralmen, Vysel and finally Gregory. The demons took double shifts and Gregory woke everyone up after a short watch. They continued until they heard two demons approach. Everyone was on guard and readied their weapons. They were calling for Vysel. He ran to meet them and they hugged each other. “Malk! Pizi! You made it back here” Vysel said. 

The two demons laughed with him. One was of a darker complexion than Vysel with cloud white hair. The other was lighter than Vysel with pitch black locks. Both had eyes uniquely different shades of pink like Vysel. Vysel introduced them as his spawnmates. “Where are the others? I know Faer died. I saw it myself”. They looked upset. “It’s just us. We left with Wyn, but he got caught by a village of beastkin. We were too weak to take them on and so we fled back here where it was safer. We thought you got captured or killed too” the white haired one, Pizi, said regretfully. “We don’t know what happened to Omri. We always thought he was with you Did you become a consort for the Companion?” Malk asked. Vysel explained his situation to them. Percival walked up to them and told Vysel it was time to say goodbye. “No, you can’t just go” Pizi said, alarmed. Malk grabbed Vysel possessively and said “He should be coming with us”. Vysel offered that they travel with everyone. Malk glared at Vysel and said he was taking him, by force if needed.

Malk focused his energy at Vysel and stroked at his face with the back of his hand. With the other arm, he firmly grabbed his waist and brought him closer. It was a tender yet demanding move meant purely to seduce. Pizi also joined in by nuzzling closer and begging him. Vysel looked at them and laughed. He placed his thigh between Malk’s legs and grabbed his plump bottom. He unleashed his power and the other two gasped and shuddered. “H-how did you a-advance!?” Malk said, twitching from the contact. Vysel said “We’re going to kill lots of demons. You can advance too. Come with us” in a tone that was equally demanding. “P-pizi, help me!” Malk said as he began to grind on Vysel despite his best efforts not to submit to the domination from Vysel. “Does it matter if all three of us are together?” he said as he turned to face Malk. 

It was only a matter of seconds before Malk broke and moaned wantonly. Vysel let him go and he fell to his knees. “Malk, come and follow. I have offspring waiting for me back in the human castle”. The other two were surprised. “Human females are soft and call your name so weakly during mating. They also react to pleasure so much, it’s almost hard not to drain them dry. I sired a child with one” Vysel bragged to his spawnmates. They were impressed with the tale of conquest and his power. They agreed to follow them. Gregory looked annoyed, but quickly hid his displeasure from his face. They continued for an hour when a demon was being chased by another larger one. The two crossed the groups path and stopped when they noticed them. “Is it true that you are the mortals traveling through the territories?” the larger asked. Gregory walked to them and said “We wanted to fight the strongest demons and stop the raids before they get to far. Where are the strong demons? We could also kill you both if you want to keep quiet”. He brandished his weapon.

The smaller one laughed and pointed North. “Every since the Demon Lord bit the dust, the power shifted greatly. A coven formed to the north led by Lord Black and Lady White. They were devils and powerful already. Somehow they broke through to archdevil. Not only that but three of their spawn did too. The North is suicide even for the strongest of demons” he said. He then pointed to the East. “When the North was claimed, there were no archdevils before. So the devil and his group fled to the East. Master Blixhud, who ran the East is fighting war with Master Dizni. You would be able to fight non stop over there”. The other one pointed to the West. He said “Over there is where the monster that are not demonic live. Outcasts of all types live there. I’ve heard it’s pretty interesting as long as you don’t get matted by a tentacle beast or something. They sneak up on you without having to move”. The smaller one perked up again to say “Behind you is where the weakling are. I bet no one came close to you. Spreading news is really all they’re good for”. 

Gregory nodded and said thank you for the information. The two demons looked at each other and smiled deviously. “It doesn’t matter to us! We’re going to kill you all anyway” the taller one said. He was as a giant with thin limbs and a thin gaunt face. The smaller one was stout and had three horns growing out his face. Gregory smiled and pulled his sword out of his sheath and disemboweled the smaller one in one slash of his blade. The other brandished their weapons as the demon screamed in surprise and pain. They put up a fight but they were quickly surrounded and killed. Gregory killed the smaller one with a clean decapitation. Joel scored the final blow on the giant. Gregory didn’t even bother with the core. Joel picked them up and gave one to Sargrin. He smiled and quickly ate it before any of the demons could take it. Joel kept the other in his pocket for later. The options on where to go were before them. The nagas wanted to go to the East. Joel looked at them and saw that they weren’t going to say why. Gregory had preferred the North. He said “I want to see those demons again and fight them”. Joel was against the idea. He quite liked Red and Green. Killing them would be a shame.

When a vote was put to the group, eight votes were for the East, and four were the West. The rest were the North. “... to the East we go”. He was not happy about the results and everyone knew it immediately. The walked eastward and true to the word of the slain demons, they made contact with lots of rowdy demons the further they went. Some would let them pass by as they were going to fight a different faction of demons but the group engaged the demons indiscriminately when they crossed paths. The children were in the front against minor and weaker true demons. Otherwise the main party were fighting. The nagas and incubi would get involved if it suited them to steal a kill or parry an attack. If not, they spectated and defended themselves from attacks made against them. By the time they were ready to find camp, they had over a dozen cores. The watch schedule repeated with Brittany taking the first watch. A quick march a mile further east led them to a structure like an open courtyard. Beyond that looked like a hastily built manor.

As they approached, dozens of strong looking demons appeared and stared them down. It was a tense moment of uncertainty when an imposing figure exited the manor. He was a tall black skinned humanoid figure with bull horns pointed perpendicular to the ground. His legs tapered off into dark fur covered hooves. He also dragged around a huge battle axe on his shoulder. It was clear he was the master when the others bowed before the sight of the brawny, muscular creature. One of the demons stood and addressed the group. He looked similar except for the fact he was smaller and his horns were nowhere near as impressive. He also had less muscle mass for his size as well. “What are you waiting for mortals? Bow before my sire, the feared devil Master Dizni!” No one bowed except for Pizi and Malk. They quickly raised themselves when they saw no one else did. “What do you want? You’ve been fighting anyone that you’ve seen” Dizni demanded of them

Gregory spoke up and stepped forward. “We are trying to stop the demon raids. To do that, we must subjugate the area”. Dizni laughed loud and strong. “Raids? If we wanted to raid, that land with those beastkin would be burnt to the ground as we speak. Right now, I need focus on a new base of power. As soon as I cleave Blixhud’s head from his shoulders, I’ll become the first true Lord of the East”. The dozen or so demons that were surely his lieutenants all began to cheer. Gregory waited for the howling to cease and stood firm. Dizni sniffed the air intently, smirked at him and said “There is something about some of you. Your souls are way more delicious than the others in your group”. “Is there something wrong with that?” the Hero smiled as all the demons present took a deep whiff and looked either pleased or confused. Dizni chuckled and said “None. We can find it out while we rip your souls from you”. The four Party members stepped forward and Dizni said “Get ready for a great fight!” Everyone formed ranks and prepared for battle. Dizni lead the charge into them. 

This battle took hours. Not only were these demons on their home terrain and base, but they were all true demon and above. The demons fighting with the Party had a trump card that was of great help to even the odds. The donned leather gloves and brandished weapons of their own that were blessed and anointed with holy oils and waters by several combat clerics. Even though the demons should have overpowered them with brute strength or magic, they were able to kill some foolish enough to get too close and hold the rest at bay. The children were getting bashed around by the single demon they surrounded, but were still standing. It took all of their combined strength and dexterity to kill him. After they finished they moved on to another one that was nearby. Gregory and his Companions were directly taking on Dizni and his mouthy offspring. Brittany was one that liked to take on the focus and ire of the enemy and was up front directly engaging him. It was up to Joel and Gregory to flank and get hits on him while he was occupied. Percival was doing his best to counteract the magic of the devil. 

Percival conjured up some skeletal arms to grab the legs of Dizni’s offspring and trip him up. It worked to perfection and he fell prone. Before Dizni could react Brittany got in his way while it was Gregory that delivered the coup de grace and beheaded him in a bloody display. Dizni sucked his teeth and scowled. “Do you how long I spent grooming him to be my enforcer? Well it just means I have to sire another one” he said annoyed. It was clear that his life was of no concern for the devil. They regrouped and reset in their next push against the pseudo Master of the East. Dizni brought the pole of the axe to the ground with a loud thud and his axe blade glowed with a green fire. He saw that things were looking pretty grim. “I see your fighting spirit is high. Fortunately for you, I will be merciful and allow you to pass unhindered. If you would like a reward, name it and it will be yours”. He had taken many losses and would probably not survive an encounter with the nagas’ sire at this point. Gregory smiled at him and said “I would like one of your horns”. He frowned and cut a horn with his axe. Dezni threw the horn to his feet. Percival wanted the cores from the fallen demons. That one caused pain to cross his face. Joel told him to swear he would not raid for three centuries. He nodded and Brittany wanted his axe. “This is my demonic weapon. It is part of me. It won’t benefit you”.

She didn’t care and demanded he give it over to her. He grit his teeth and complied. “If you are all satisfied, you can do on your way” he said. He looked over at his remaining lieutenants and pointed at a female demon. “You. Come here. I need more offspring. I’m very angry so I won’t be gentle” he demanded. The demoness in question gulped and looked fearful as she followed him into the manor. From the fourteen demons that were fighting with him, six had been killed and another couple were wounded. There were three true demon cores and three archdemon cores. Joel gave two of the archdemon cores to Malk and Pizi. Vysel was there to help them through the pain of advancing. The other cores were split among the others. The trophies were placed in the wagon with care. The defeated demons dispersed as they headed off, continuing eastward. Word spread of their exploits during the next few days. Even demons fighting would call truces to either fight them or flee.

Eventually they were approached by a demon that said he was a servant of a “Master Blixhud” and lead them to a nicer manor than Dizni’s. Once inside, they were brought before a magnificent seat where a devil was sitting. As they entered the room Blixhud shifted and he blinked. “Why are my offspring with you?” he asked confused. “Sire, we were captured in a raid some months ago. This is the Hero and three Companions that took us to the human king to live with them” Varazin said as he he pointed to the Party members. Blixhud stood up and said “It is good to know my offspring have returned to me. I must have them back as soon as possible. I have only two offspring left from another concubine”. Joel took a step forward and said “I’m afraid that cannot happen. We have a contract that for their protection, they will obey me” as he showed the marks of his contract. The devil looked shocked and said “A Companion protecting a demon? I’ve never hear of it!”.

Gregory was seething and said “You were the one who was organizing raids in Snarl!” Blixhud did not blink when he admitted it. “It was something I had the leisure to do. Since Dizni was cast from the North, I have not had the luxury”. He walked closer and gazed at his three offspring. “I am pleased with you. Dissolve your contract with him and join your sire. I’ve already heard tales of your battle with him. With you at my side, we can finally push him out of the East. We might even have a chance to kill him”. The naga looked at him and at Joel. Joel looked like he was not interested in their choice. Being honest, he would miss them dearly. However he knew first hand the importance of family. Varazin spoke up and asked “Sire, how can we break a contract with someone?”. The devil chuckled and said “With enough magic and power, one can one sidedly break a contract. If both agree it is way easier. I will channel my power through”. Varazin smiled and said he would do it.

Varazin slithered up to Blixhud and faced Joel. Blixhud stood behind him and placed a hand on the naga’s chest. “Focus on the contract and decide that it is of no use. Destroy it with your will and it will be broken”. Varazin smiled as he closed his eyes after a minute a pentagram spread from him and encircled Joel. Varazin groaned out in pain and his eyes squeezed tighter. “Focus on the contract and destroy it” his sire said. Sargrin cried out in pain as the sun on Joel’s right pectoral muscle began to burn. Joel winced in pain as the pentagram shattered and the sun had disappeared from his skin. Varazin slumped forward in exhaustion. “You did well Varazin. Who will be next?” was what he said as he let Varazin fall after catching him partway. Sargrin came forward the same process ensued. Ralmen looked at Joel and said “Say something Joel. Stop being quiet. We’re leaving!”. Joel looked at him and said “I have no right to keep you if you want to leave. And if your sire needs you, why would I stop you” Joel replied. Ralmen sighed in great frustration and yelled “If you want me to go tell me to go!”.

Joel was silent and turned his head from him. Ralmen got in his face again and demanded to know what he was thinking. “You could stay here if you want, or you could stay with me. You have to choose”. Everyone was waiting to see what he would choose. Ralmen looked angry and said “I now know what you mean when you said humans take risks. The moment I need you the most, I can’t rely on you!” he slithered with purpose to his sire and broke his contract. “Thank you for advancing and protecting my offspring Companion. I will reward you” the devil said with glee. He snapped his fingers and a chest of gold was brought in. “A treasure pile full of gold is very tempting, but I must crush my enemies first. Take it, it’s yours”. Joel took the heavy chest in his arms and nodded. The children looked confused. “Wait, what about us!?” Henry demanded to know what was to become of him.

Blixhud was confused until the context was explained for him. ”Ah, I see now. The way I see it you are his attendants and servants. You belong with your master”. Joel spoke up for them and said “They are human children less than 20 years old. They belong in their homeland and they have the option to return with us. They were selected by Varazin and Ralmen under the conditions they were loyal to and defend Parcel”. Blixhud looked annoyed he was so openly contradicted and said “... Certainly, they have a choice. However it would be better if they stayed with their masters to learn combat and other things, yes?” Henry took a step toward them and yelled “What about our baby, pervert snake!”. Everyone was shocked at the outburst. Varazin hissed and said “How could you possibly know!? The eggs won’t be visible for another month!” in anger. Henry pointed to him and said “I told you, I knew the whole time!”. Blixhud inquired about it and Varazin confirmed he was carrying two eggs.

Henry said “Do I have to stay here until you lay them before I can go!? As soon as they're out, I’m going to beat you up so bad”. Varazin hissed and dared him to try. “So I can take it he will stay with us?” He walked next to Varazin annoyed and nodded. The others stood where they were and they left the manor. Joel left the manor with and added spring in his step. The weight that he didn’t realize was there on his soul was lifted. He felt happier than he ever was in his life. The others noticed and gave him his space. “So overall, we gained two members and lost four. We are still doing great, seeing as we haven’t had any serious injuries” Percival said in order to keep morale high after a massive defection. They decided to camp near the manor for the day and relaxed in the area. Some demons approached them and tried to start a fight with them or even solicit them for mating. 

They did not rise for the bait at all. Malk and Pizi were nuzzling up against Vysel comforting each other. “So you said you had an offspring with a human female. Do you think we could do that too in the castle?”. Vysel nodded and pulled them closer to tell them about humans in the castle. “Humans are easy to please because they are naturally drawn by our beauty. But some people don’t like being forced and some like Joel don’t like mating at all”. The incubi looked shocked and stared at Joel. When the monk explained the vows he had made, they rushed to his side. They nuzzled up to him and tried to rub themselves on him. Joel gently stopped them and assured them that he found them attractive. “I don’t understand. How can you decide to not mate like that?”. Joel said “I know that for you, mating is what sustains your life. For me, I feel at peace and fulfilled when I can enjoy relationships with others without being tied to something like that. With that freedom, I can focus on loving others and also loving the goddess I worship instead”. The incubi could not understand it and stayed close to him. Joel was happy that they didn’t try to use their powers on him.

When the time to set watch came Gregory said he would be the first. Everyone else settled in and after an hour, Joel was woke up and lead out beyond the campsite. Joel felt that it was unusual, but he followed his Hero. When they got far away, Gregory turned to him and said “I know that it must feel go to be rid of those demons”. Joel nodded and said “It makes me sad to admit it, but my soul feels lighter and more free!”. The prince was nodding in understanding when he left a hand on his shoulder. Joel blushed and was so giddy that he couldn’t hold in a giggle. “I’m sorry. Continue please” he said. The hero smiled and said “That is fine Joel. I was just about to compliment you”. Joel’s eye’s sparkled at the promise of praise. “You have been the best chaplain we have ever seen. You are so pious, so wise, and so attentive to the needs of those that come to your chapel”. Joel glowed with pride and puffed out his chest a bit. “My brother and I owe everything to Agrella” he said.

Gregory nodded and said “Being here, it makes me think of Lucy”. Joel immediately stopped smiling and reached out. He remembered that Isen had also seen her. He told Gregory and he stilled. “Yes. She was kind and cared for the poor. I’m glad he remembers her” he said “I’m so sorry. If only we had gotten there a day sooner...” he said with his head hung low. Gregory glared at him before schooling his face. “Can you tell me what you remember about Lucy. Tell me everything that happened and everything that was said” Gregory commanded. Joel took a big breath before telling him the story again. Joel had a great memory, so the story was still so vivid in his mind. He had his eyes closed as he didn’t want to see the pain of his face. When it was finished he heard a deep sigh from Gregory. “I’ll ask you one final question. Why did you try to protect Red a few days ago when we found their location?” Joel opened his eyes and looked confused. “Joel, don’t lie. You are way too pure for that. I can tell you have feelings for me due to our bond” Gregory looked tired. “I thought that it would be a shame to kill them after they had been so helpful” Joel said. “Is that all?” the hero probed a bit further. Joel was feeling pretty uncomfortable.

He said it was the reason. Gregory then nodded and said “Who do you blame for this? There must be someone responsible for this”. The tone of the prince grew icy. Joel shivered and he was held close by the waist. “Who do you think it is?” Joel heard whispered in his ear. “It was the demoness named Mantis. We killed her. You have to believe me” he whispered in terror back to the one holding him. “I believe you Joel. I just think… that line of thinking is a bit too lazy”. Joel looked at the piercing cold eyes and shuddered. The smile he received made him more scared. “I do blame that demon. But I also blame the demon who ate her soul. I also blame the one that defiled her body with black magic necromancy. I blame the ones who allowed it to happen”. Joel could no longer stand to look at him. “Please, my prince. This is scaring me. I wouldn’t leave someone to die”. “Yes, I know. Not even a filthy demon is so disgusting that you’d abandon it”. Joel perked up and smiled when he felt a sharp pain and burning pain in his chest. 

Looking down, he saw a long thin dagger stabbed in his lung. He coughed as blood was quickly overtaking the air in his body. Blood would have splattered all over on Gregory if he had not roughly shoved Joel’s face in the opposite direction. “Why?” was what he was able to gasp out before he was unable to speak. The prince gently laid him on the ground. Joel still gripping on to him in shock and fear. “I wish I didn’t have to do this to you. A Hero loves all his Companions as a part of himself. To see you return that love in the shy chaste way of yours was truly endearing to me. But before I am a Hero, I am a man. Lucy’s death was partly your fault. You must pay. If you can find her in the afterlife, make amends to her. You lost all the contracts so your soul shall be rewarded for your piety and purity. Percival and Red will not be so lucky”. Joel’s hands were still gripping on to his Hero when the knife was pulled out. He soon faded away as the darkness came for him.


	14. Chapter 14

As he jolted back to consciousness, he hit his head on a hard surface. It was so dark he could not see anything. He wasn’t sure what was going on. He wondered if it was the afterlife. As far as he was aware, he was supposed to die. The pain that was there was now gone. While his head was still fuzzy, he could string thoughts together. He pressed against the surface again and it did not move. He was still way too weak to move it. He knocked against the surface and waited. After a few minutes the surface was lifted from him. He saw the concerned look on the faces of Pizi and Malk. They asked why he was in the crate and why he was naked. He had no answer to those questions and Vysel went to get Percival. He covered his privates in shame. It seemed the incubi were more than pleased with the situation. Vysel and Percival came to the wagon quickly with sadness on his face .

Joel asked him what happened. “Friend, I am so sorry. You have died and been resurrected in this spare body I had created for you. I used your blood and the remaining energy of the cores to create spare bodies for us. Who killed you, Joel?”. Joel shuddered as the memories came flooding back. Tears began to fall as he said “Gregory betrayed us. He still resents us for what had happened to Lucy. He is going to kill you and Red. I believe that was the true purpose of this trip”. Gregory and the incubi frowned. “No one is on watch. He must be disposing of your body” he said. Percival helped the monk to the spare clothes packed away. Vysel said “If the grudge is that strong that a Hero would slaughter his own Companions, what will he do to us when you die? We have to kill him first”. Both Companions glared at him. “No, we have to run immediately. Even with this betrayal, I can’t raise my hand to him. Joel get Ryden and Isen. I want to take refuge in the North” Percival rebuked him.

They immediately took action and were about to move the second crate when Brittany stopped them. She demanded to know what they were doing. Joel had been distraught to say or do much of anything. Percival told her the situation and she looked like she did not believe it. “If I am lying, where is he?” he coaxed her to see things his way. “Stay here for now. We will get to the bottom of this when he gets back”. Joel laid back with a groan. A hour had passed and he was about to say something when Gregory came into view. “Joel! How is this possible? I saw you die in my arms!” he said in pure shock. Brittany looked at him and said “How could you betray us like this? We all trusted you enough to follow you wherever you went. Tell us why you did this”. Her voice was soaked in disappointment. Gregory had the decency to look ashamed at the hurt in the eyes of his Companions. “I will avenge Lucy. I’m sorry you had to be the the target of this revenge. I wanted to make sure it was as quick as possible, but if you insist, I will fight Percival openly” he said as he unsheathed his dagger. Percival steeled his gaze and said he had no intention to fight him. “Why should I throw my life away to satisfy a traitor? I’m going to leave”.

Gregory turned to Brittany and asked what she thought. “I will retire to the land I was given and stay there. I don’t serve disloyal leaders. Especially cowardly ones” she said with a hard stare. “I was destined to die…. Agrella came to me before I became Chaplain and told me that I would be betrayed and killed. If not for Percival’s magic, I would be dead. I will travel in exile until my life ends. Tell my family I died and to forget me”. He got up and took his weapons. He took his squire and apprentice and the three of them left in silence. After a few hours they were met by the incubi and Percival. They needed to go back to the capitol to get Sebastian. “My offspring needs me. I’m going to take him and the woman with me”. Joel looked at the children with him and said “I’m intending to live here until I die. Will you die with me or go with them? You must choose wisely”. They both hoped on the wagon and they looked at the monk. “This might truly be farewell. Joel you are a true friend to me. Is there no way we can convince you not to throw your life away?” the necromancer said.

Joel looked so small and lonely in front of them they could not help but beg him to come with him. “I’ve been abandoned. It doesn’t mean anything to me to continue” he replied with a small half smile. He turned his back and continued on his way. The wagon stayed where it was for a minute before it went off in its own direction. Joel moved northward in a straight line. He did not speak, he did not stop, and he did not cry. But more importantly he did not smile at all. He cut down all that got in his way. He kept all his final possessions in a small pack on his back. He had his Magnum Opus, quill and ink, and the many cores he collected on the way. Eventually his legs gave way after two whole days without stopping. His feet were a bloody mess. He crawled to a rock and leaned his back against it. A day passed and he laughed to himself. He couldn’t help it or control himself. When he finally stopped due to his ribs seizing in cramps, he looked down on himself and croaked out “I’m still not even hungry”.

He was woken up when he heard the sounds of dogs crying out in pain and barking. Joel was disturbed as time went on and stood up with great difficulty. He inched his way to peak over the side to see what was going. A demon was attacking two large multiple headed dogs. They were twice as large as an adult male with fiery pelts. One was white while the other was golden. The golden one was favoring a leg while the white dog was fighting the demon. Both of the dogs were bleeding and covered in wounds. The demon was weaving between the paws with sharp claws and jumped up to one of the dog’s necks. He had a sadistic smile on his face as he drew his arm back and slit the throat with his nails. He then slowly and cruely yanked at its bloody wound even as the dog shrieked in pain and stumbled back. The head soon fell to the ground as he yanked even harder with a triumphant laugh. “One down, five more to go" he said. The golden dog limped over to the other and tried to lick its other faces to comfort it. Joel could not take the evil of the act any longer and stumbled from behind the rock. 

The demon turned to him and said “Hail Companion! What brings you here? The others have left the demon country”. Joel nodded and said “What is happening? I was resting when I heard the noise”. The demon’s nose scrunched in disgust as he looked at the dogs. “There are many archdevils in the North. A whole coven is making those coward gods nervous. So there has been a infestation of hellhounds. These are just puppies that need to be culled. Lord Black in particular hates them and has announced a reward for each corpse brought before them. If you want you can find some trotting around like imbeciles all over the North” he said. Joel shook his head and said “You can go do that. I don’t want to see any harm come to these puppies”. He shuddered to think how big they would grow to be. The demon snarled. “These are mine! See the wounds I had to inflict on them before I could even corner them like this. Who knows if I could do it again” he said. Joel had heard enough and unsheathed his two blades. He said to him “Stand down or die demon”.

For a moment it looked like he was going to leave. However a whimper from the dogs made him change his mind. “There’s no way you can beat me with your injuries” he said as he charged forward toward Joel. Leaned forward and pushed off with his left foot and intercepted the demon in midstep. He gave the demon a slash across the chest that sent him careening to the ground in a heap. Joel walked over and plunged his sword into the demon’s throat. He turned to dust with one last gurgle and Joel bent down to pick up the core. His wounds from the day before had opened up again. He went over to the dogs and they had since lost the fiery aura around them. Now they were the size of wolves and Joel felt pity for them. As he approached, they growled and whined in pain as they tried to stand. Joel reached into his pack and pulled out two archdemon cores. He tossed it in front of them before hobbling off back behind the rock. He peeked from the rock to observe them.

They looked at each other before the white dog took a core in its mouth. The worst of its wounds from the decapitation closed and looked almost to heal. The golden one ate the second core and its wound also seemed to heal. Its tail began to wag as it licked the other’s faces. Joel smiled and soon fell asleep. In the morning he was taken by the pain in his feet and crawled over to the dogs that were sleeping. They woke up as they heard him crawl towards them. They growled much angrier than last time. Joel noted that it was due to their better health. He gave them two more archdemon cores and crawled away. Joel saw them eat the cores and heal even more. Joel waited for his wounds to close and heal on their own after wrapping them again with strips of fabric from his sleeves. Before he went to sleep he crawled out again and moved as close as he could. He knew before he could actually touch them he had to reach out and give them the initiative to take his scent.

When he reached out the dogs’ lips curled in aggression and snarled. Soon, they both reached out and took in his scent. He then took his hands and pet them both and smiled at them. Both dogs had their tails wagging as he scratched behind their ears. He gave them two more demon cores before crawling away to the rock. It was almost time for him to get moving again. His feet were almost healed and he really wanted to see more than a rock when he woke up. The next day he was woken up by the hellhounds licking his face and pressing down on him with his paws. He pulled them closer and gazed out into the distance.He used one for a brace as he stood and continued on his northward march. He actually surprised at first that he was being followed at a distance by the hounds. Joel continued and walked for another day. Over a the edge of a cliff, he could see a set of castles. There was one that was white and black. One was red, another was green. The final one was indigo. Joel saw he would need to travel further down the plain to where he could hike down. He sighed again and started walking again while there was still light. 

It took three days, but he was finally approaching the castles. Joel was heading toward the red castle in the center. The hellhound were still following him and he gave them the rest of the cores he had along the way. Just as his feet were going to give way again, he was caught by a figure. He tried to raise his face but he couldn’t. He was suddenly way too tired. Joel was like a puppet with its string cut. “Joel. What happened to you” said a familiar voice. He could hear the yapping of the hounds as they hurried to approach. “Were you being hounded by these two hellhounds? I’ll burn them to ashes for you”. Joel shook his head and whispered that they were with him. “Keeping hellhounds around here isn’t cool” Red sighed before scooping him in his arms and carrying him. Joel fell asleep as he gazed at his slightly concerned face. It was the first time he was able to smile.

When he woke up, he was in a fluffy bed and all his wounds were healed. He got out of the bed and saw the two hellhounds come over to him. They sniffed at him and licked him on his face and hands. Red appeared in the room in a ball of fire. “Why is it that I kept hearing about you in the East. Did no one tell you where I was”. Joel frowned and told his story of when he left. As the story went underway Red looked more and more angry. “That’s not cool. I handled it and killed Mantis. What else does he expect?” he asked with balled fists. Joel finished his story and asked how he healed his wounds. “I’m an archdevil! My magic is so good I can do just about anything” he gloated. Joel asked “Is there a place where you could let me stay outside your castle for me to live in?” Red thought and said “Not right now, but I can make one here for you now so you can rest. Humans need a lot of that”. He grabbed Joel and they appeared in the courtyard behind his castle.

Red materialized his sceptor from thin air and created a room in the center of his garden. “Now you can really be mine” he smiled at his benefactor. Joel thanked him and went inside. Five minutes later, the hounds were scratching at the door. Joel let them in. The room was a replica of the room he woke up in. Joel would find solace in his daily prayers and exploring and tending to the garden. As time went on he came to name the hounds. After checking they were both male he called the white one Izzin and the golden hound Remi. They soon learned their names and responded to them. He taught them some tricks such as shaking paws, rolling over on a command, and standing on their hind legs. It gave Joel a return of the joy stolen from him with his betrayal. The next day he was surprised to find two young boys laying on his floor. “Oh, you woke up earlier than we thought you would” the blond said with a yawn. “Hey! Wake up Izzin and greet Joel” he said. The white haired boy was woken up and smiled at Joel. “Do these forms please you Joel?”

Joel was used to the supernatural by this point and simply asked for an explanation. The boys explained they were the hellhounds in human form. Apparently hellhounds sometimes need to shift forms to track and capture runaway souls. The gods decided that it would be prudent to sent hellhounds to the demon country to police demons from getting too strong and eliminating certain targets. They were separated from their mother and the rest of their litter in an attack from the demons. Each head allowed a different form, which they could craft at will but would stick and not be able to be changed. What was similar was the milky yellow of their eyes that was the same even in hound form. Joel told him that he thought they looked acceptable. “Is this the first time you used these forms?” Joel asked. They nodded and wobbled a bit on two legs before getting the handle. “We thought it would be nice so we could talk to you and help you do things” Izzin said. Remi nodded in agreement. Joel decided to write a new entry on hellhounds in his Magnum Opus. He asked them all sorts of questions and inspected their bodies. After a few days, Red returned to visit.

Red entered the room and the boys shifted into hound form before he could see them. They growled at him. Red paid them no mind and walked smiling toward Joel. “I’m so glad that you came to stay with us. How long will you be with me?” Joel frowned as he thought of it. “I was prepared to wander until the end of my life. I didn’t know a Companion couldn’t die of hunger here. I have no idea what I should do” he said sadly. Red moved to get closer when the two hounds barked and jumped in between them. Red simply said “I know that you must be suffering right now. I’ll let you give me your soul. You would make me so much stronger”. A laugh was Joel’s response, causing Red to frown. “You’ve been abandoned by your Party. I know it hurts you. And if even you’re precious Agrella let this happen to you, you won’t have much mercy in the afterlife” he tried to coax. Joel crossed his arms. He had a pained smile, saying “My family, my comrades, my chapel, and my status no longer matter to me”. Red honestly could not understand it.

Joel gazed resolutely at the devil he had helped. “You can’t just die here when I can make use of you. That isn’t cool” Red said, more aggressively than before. Joel smiled derisively and said that he was not giving him his soul. “Besides, a kingdom or a temple would be worthless if you remain as unwise” he said off the top of his head as he moved to sit on his bed. Red was a big fool. Joel didn’t really think much of his ability to do anything of note. Red, however hopped on the bed and crawled over to Joel’s face. His eyes were wide and he was practically shaking in excitement. “Say that again Joel” he commanded. Joel was confused and did so. “Can you really get a kingdom or temple?” he said. Joel sighed and said “I told you. It is worthless to anyone who can’t use wits to defend it”. It was almost scary as the deep malice and pure joy mixed on his face. “That’s why I have you with me for”. Joel laughed out loud. Asking him to either take a kingdom or make him a god? Ridiculous!

On the other hand, there was nothing to lose for him now. He had already died. His vows and obligations were already met. He was conflicted and Red moved closer. “Together, we could take on the world. I won’t be long. I need to go get the others”. He got off the bed and made polite gestures before disappearing in a small ball of flame. Joel shrugged as he stood where the archdevil was. The hounds nudged him with their noses. They shifted and pressed up against him. Remi said “We should just leave right now. We can guide you out of here without anyone knowing”. The agreement from Izzin was immediate . “Your soul isn’t evil. Why are you so nice and docile towards an archdevil” he said with a sniff. Joel told them their history and they looked shocked. Remi pushed him and frowned in his face. “Stop just letting him control you. You’re stronger than him so you should dominate him”. 

The stare accusing him of weakness made Joel uneasy. He looked down and away. Both of the hounds gasped. Remi looked conflicted and stomped off to the corner. Joel said “You can leave if you can’t stand the idea. I won’t give up my soul, but I don’t care what happens to me”. He returned to the bed and took a nap. He woke up when he heard the hounds running around and roughhousing. Joel watched them for a moment before getting up and joining them. They played around for awhile until Izzin fell on top of Joel. They were all laughing when Joel looked up and said Izzin won. Izzin gazed down at him and gulped. “Yeah… I won” he slowly repeated. His grip on Joel tightened for a quick moment before he shook his head and got off of him. “Let’s not play this anymore” Remi said. Joel agreed and took out his Magnum Opus to continue working on a new entry on Red. As time went on Remi and Izzin began to whine. Joel looked down to where they were on the floor as they looked up at him with big expressive eyes. It moved him to concern and set his quill in the ink pot. “Joel, we’re tired and want to sleep” Remi said with a big yawn. Joel nodded and continued his work. After another ten minutes, they began to whine again.

This time Joel looked down to them confused. Izzin looked at him and said “We want to go to sleep now”. He put slight emphasis on the ‘now’. Joel said “You can go to sleep if you want to. I won’t stop you if you are tired”. They looked at each other confused. “We want you to go sleep too. It doesn’t make sense if you are not sleeping too” Remi tried to explain. Joel didn’t really understand and asked why they felt that way. “We’ve been sleeping at different times since we met. Why do you want to sleep at the same time now?” Izzin edged closer and said “We were not together then. We’re together now so we should. Don’t you want us to sleep together with you?”. Joel thought about it while the hounds looked at him intently. “I’m really taken with this right now. Give me some time and I’ll finish so we can sleep”. They looked displeased but they did not bother him. When Joel had finished he had let the book out so the ink could dry and put away the quill and ink. He laid down and told them they could sleep.

He was woken up from sleep by loud barking. He had been used to the hounds advising him on when to sleep for days. The hounds were in dog form in between him and the visitors at the door. As Joel’s vision cleared, he saw Red, Green and Yellow all together. Joel got up from the bed and crouched in between the hounds. He pet them and calmed them down. “You didn’t tell us that Joel had taken hellhounds as pets. Black would not be pleased if he saw this” Green said calmly masking his annoyance as he turned to Red. Red shrugged nervously and said “As soon as we leave, he won’t have to know I’ve had them for so long”. Yellow snarled at the hounds and said “I’ll just get rid of them”. He cracked his knuckles and took a step towards them with a sneer on his face. Joel got in between then and asked “Red, why did you bring these two here?”. Red looked at him as if he was unsure what Joel was talking about. “Joel. You said that temples and kingdoms were beneath you”. 

Joel nodded, still not quite understanding. “I said that, yes. I was betrayed and died. I asked if I could live out the rest of my life here. Was there something wrong with that?” was his measured response. A sigh came from Green. “As usual, my idiot Red didn’t understand what you meant. I believe he thought you could take us and either help us ascend to godhood or rule some mortal kingdom”. Joel exclaimed in understanding as he looked at the archdevil. “Oh, I see now Red. I could probably do that, but I want to stay here” he said. Green raised his eyebrow skeptically at the monk. “Don’t humor him Joel. He’s already wasting our time with this” he warned. Joel then turned to Green and said “No human can do it alone. That is certain. However, right now I have two archdevils a minor demon and two hellhounds with me. There is no real reason why I can’t do this for him if I wanted”. Red’s eyes sparkled and said “See? This is why you don’t doubt me anymore. I found Joel and look what came of it. Now all we have to do is convince him to leave here and do it for us. I need help. I might be cool, but he’s really smart!”.

Green and Yellow shared a look and looked a bit uneasy. They then looked at an impassive Joel and his hellhounds. “What would you like?” Green asked. Yellow scoffed and said “He’s just a dumb human. Just beat him until he goes”. Joel looked at him and said “I was a monk and then an acolyte for Agrella. I have studied a lot and made some very new discoveries. Red might not be that smart, but we have respect and fondness for each other. If you tried to force me against my will, I would only plot against you and kill you” he said. Yellow’s body crackled with electricity as he took another step toward him and said “You want to bet! Raise your fists or grit your teeth because I’m going to beat respect into you”. Joel raised his fist with a smile. He said “I’ll enjoy killing you” in a passable Infernal. That surprised all others in the room. “See that! He’s really too smart for his own good. No wonder he got killed and abandoned” Red said approvingly. Green looked at Yellow and told him to drop the matter. “He will kill you. Stop” was his warning. A good warning Yellow would not accept.

Yellow snarled and said “Fuck this! No random human speaks to me like that and lives to talk about it”. Joel just ignored him and said “Tell me where his core is” Green asked why he wanted to know. “So I don’t accidentally kill him” was the response he gave. Red piped up and told him it was at the base of his spine. Joel nodded and walked up to the aggressive minor demon with raised fists. Yellow smiled as he threw a punch to Joel’s face, but Joel quickly ducked out of the way. Joel’s punch hit Yellow in the nose and drew some blood. That enraged him and he charged with even more anger. Joel and Yellow exchanged blows and dodges for a few minutes before Yellow popped out of the range of Joel’s fist. Joel dropped his hand in exasperation. Joel hadn’t been in many serious hand to hand combats and found it pretty tiring. Yellow was even worse. “I… bet you wish… you can… do this!” he gloated between breaths. He then teleported behind Joel, but he was waiting for him. Joel kicked at where he appeared but was still too slow for Yellow. 

When he teleported again, Joel was still waiting for him. He was only grazed when he teleported for the third time. “How are you doing this!?” he yelled as he repeated this three more times with the same result. Joel chuckled at him. He had been feeling a bit stifled in the room and the fight was making him feel excited. “I’ll tell you if you stop doing it” he said as was finally able to grab his arm. He yanked Yellow towards him and kneed him in the chest. He then pulled the arm behind his back and took him to the floor with his other hand on his lower back. His thumb was rubbing on the base of his spine. Yellow was coughing and spat blood before he went limp. He looked at his spawnmates for help. Red took a couple of steps closer. “Joel. I know Yellow is a bit mean sometimes. I don’t want you to kill him though”. Joel said “It’s foolish to let someone in your company that wants to hurt you. If he wants to me to help he has to submit to me”. “Me, submit to you. Never! When I-” Yellow yelled when Joel cut him off by pressing hard against his core. Yellow moaned lewdly, surprising everyone including himself.

Joel had enough practice with Varazin’s core to know how to stimulate that area. Yellow became a mewling mess in short order. “Forgive me already! I’m going to spill my seed”. Joel said “You have to submit to me first”. Yellow begged him to stop and Joel shook his head and kept rubbing his core. Eventually he jolted in his grip and came undone. Unlike his spawnmates, he was wearing rags like Red and Green were when he first met them. Joel didn’t let up and Yellow was writhing under the monk’s touch. “What must he do to submit? He doesn’t know what you want from him”. Joel stopped and looked Yellow in the eyes. “I want you to say you’re sorry for fighting. Then I need you to tell me that you lost and I am too strong for you. Say it convincingly and I will let you go. Not until then” was his terms for the surrender. Yellow glared and said “No I won’t lose to you!”. Joel kept rubbing the area and made sure to increase the pressure. Yellow was in agony as he was left helpless as he cycled through pleasure and pain and spilled more and more of his seed. Soon, he was in a pool of his seed and tears. “Okay! Okay! I’m sorry! You won! You are too strong for me!” he cried out.

Joel immediately got off of him and gave him his space. Yellow was still in pain on the ground and the others looked concerned at him. The passive monk they thought they had in their midst was clever, battle hardened, and had a slight sadistic streak. Red was pleased and rubbed up against him. “So as you guys can see, we can go and do something legendary!” Joel looked down at him and said “I still haven’t been convinced to leave your castle Red”. Red glared up at him and said “You had your way with Yellow already! What else could you want!? Don’t be greedy Joel”. “Yellow challenged me to a fight and then would not submit. Green was the one that asked me what I wanted” was the comeback Joel provided. Red glared at the two of his spawnmates and stomped his foot in frustration. “You were supposed to help me convince him to go. Now you just made everything complicated!”.

Red looked at Joel and said “I know! You already had your way with Yellow. Why don’t you mate with him”. Joel blinked at him. “You could have some powerful offspring. Not as powerful as mine would be, but why not right?” he blathered on. Joel rejected that idea outright. Red looked surprised and blushed. “Well… if you really insist Joel. I’ll do my best and bear your offspring” It took a second before Joel looked at him and just shook his head. “No thank you. I have no sexual interest in you or any of your spawnmates”. Yellow teleported in front of Joel and pushed him back onto the bed. He climbed on Joel and said “After what you did to me, you’re going to mate with me. How am I going to go to others when word spreads a human spilled my seed multiple times and without touching me!?”. Joel immediately shoved him off onto the floor. “What I want is a crown made of pearls and jade” he said. It honestly was the first thing that came to mind when he thought of a price for a kingdom.

Green waved his hand in the air and a crown of flawless jade adorned with the biggest of pearls materialized on Joel’s head. Joel inspected it and gasped at the beauty. Red smiled cruelly. “So now that you look motivated, we are moving out right now!”. Joel’s eyes snapped to him and sighed. “Yes Let’s go. But first we have to go to the East. There’s someone I need to say my farewells to” he said wistfully. Red raised an eyebrow and asked where he wanted to go. Joel told him where and the archdevils nodded. Joel packed the crown carefully in the bag with his things. Red held Joel and Remi. Green had Yellow and Izzin clutched to him. In a blink, they disappeared and appeared in front of the manor of Blixhud. They walked in without any hassle by any of the demons around. As they reached the main hall, they were greeted with a young boy wandering around. Joel nearly cried out as he recognized the child’s pink eye. “Sebastian!” he called out in disbelief. The boy with an eyepatch turned to him and smiled. “How do you know my name? My mother told everyone to keep it a secret” he said.

A click of heels sounded across the floor as a woman called for him. As she turned the corner she gasped and held her hands over her mouth. “Sir Joel?!” Allie cried out. She looked older than the last time he saw her. Percival, Vysel, Ryden, Lyle and Henry ran to him and marveled at his appearance. Only Percival with his elven blood looked the same. The once children had all grown to young adulthood. “How is this possible? It was only a week or two since we left each other” Joel said in shock. They looked at each other, unsure of what to say and how to say it. “Friend, it has been five years since then. We rescued the spawnmate Malk and Pizi were talking about. We made it to Parcel to get Sebastian and his mother and grandmother. We were quickly exiled, but Brittany kept her lands and lives there. I tried to search for you- we all did- but there was no word from the demons or the scouts sent to the area. Only that you had disappeared at some point in the North” Percival explained. Joel was unable to handle it. He began to shake and he fainted.

He woke up with a rag on his head. He tried to get up when a splitting headache hammered against the monk’s temples. He groaned and Pizi handed him a beverage in a chalice. Joel did his best to sit up and ask what it was. “It’s blood. Demons capture straggling creatures that stray too close all the time. It tastes really good”. Joel grimaced and said “No thank you. I don’t want to get in the habit”. Joel thought about it for a moment and asked “What do the humans who live here eat?” Pizi smiled and said “The monsters from the North and West. Hellhound has become a staple here”. Joel gasped and Pizi hushed him. “We didn’t eat your pets. We told them to stay in human form for the moment”. Joel nodded and said “I haven’t seen any other demons here besides you and Vysel”. Pizi paled and froze for a moment. “We were not here for the final battle between Masters Dizni and Blixhud. Henry was and you can ask him. We weakened Dizni a lot by taking his axe and heir. He was still very strong. Sargrin and Master Blixhud perished on the field of battle before Dizni was dispatched by Ralmen’s blessed glaive”. 

Learning of Sargrin’s death greatly troubled Joel. Sargrin was always concerned about being too weak. It seemed that it truly was that he was not meant for this world. “As both devils were dead, Varazin and Ralmen took the cores and became archdemons. They rule together as there is no Master of the East. Challenges are quickly put down. When we got there, Varazin gave birth to eggs and left them. Henry was so mad he fought Varazin with his fists and left to go get them back. We met him as he was rolling one back. He never found the other” Pizi recounted with a chuckle. Joel chuckled as well from the mental image. He looked at Pizi from the bed and admired his form. Joel knew that humans in warm climates had similar chocolate skin colors. Parcel was pretty cool so he never saw anyone like him. The white hair and light pink brought interesting contrast. Pizi smiled lewdly at him and said “You fancy me, Joel?”. Joel blushed and apologized for staring at him so long. “You know I like it” he said as he climbed into bed with him.

Pizi straddled his hips and said “I thought you vowed not to mate”. Joel looked at the side with a blush rise to his face again. “The vows were for life. I did die, so...” he trailed off. Pizi nodded and said “Vysel told me he hated you. Your soul smelled so good, and you wouldn’t even share a bit of yourself. Then death added to the smell of your soul. Red told us that while you were sleeping, he would take you out in his arms as bait to lure strong enemies to kill before they got too hard to handle”. Pizi began to disrobe on top of Joel and he gulped. Pizi scoffed at him and lifted Joel’s hands to his waist. Joel rubbed up and down. Soon the incubus was naked and he looked down at the monk. “Just let me do all the work” he said as he used his glamor on Joel. He lowered his trousers and saw the proud erection. He moaned and said “I kinda wanna sit on it”. Joel gasped as he felt the hand grab his manhood and place it against the warm, moist entrance of Pizi’s body. Pizi pushed down against Joel and bottomed out in one single motion. Joel yelped as an orgasm was dragged out of him. “Huh!? So qui-” was all could say before the energy hit him. He too came undone immediately. Pizi flopped over onto the already quivering Joel. 

They were both panting in each others arms and shivering in ecstacy. “I guess you were really pent up while you were asleep. I’ve never felt that much energy rush in before, even with archdemons like Ralmen and Varazin. I’m going to keep you now”. Joel felt pretty tired, but he was sure he felt the same way. He stroked Pizi’s face once before falling asleep. When he came to, he was cleaned up and being attended to by Green. “Did you have fun? Red was so furious, if not for me and Percival the necromancer, he would be dead for lowering the quality of your soul”. Joel smiled and said “I did put my life in that fool’s hands. If you think about it, Percival and I gave him everything. I’m probably the most valuable thing he has”. Green nodded and said “Percival already turned him down for this ‘grand adventure’ as he put it. He also has a contract”. He then stood over Joel and smiled. “Red doesn’t deserve you. We both know I would be better to serve under”. 

Joel stared at him displeased. “I agree. But I meant what I said to Yellow. I am very loyal to him and that won’t change. As you should be. You would be nothing without him dragging you along to the Demon Lord. Just as Yellow is nothing for running off” he lectured. Green frowned but accepted it. “Yes. My idiot spawnmate is still my idiot spawnmate. Although, now I have Indigo to fall on. She’s weak willed and yet way smarter than Red” he said. Red was in the doorway when he said “Well said Joel. Green”. Red looked very angry at him but he didn’t say anything except “As your cool stronger spawnmate I looked out for you. If you cross me, I won’t hesitate to have Joel kill you”. Joel sat up and shook his head. “Never. Family is one of the most important things you have. You would regret it Red” Joel pushed back firmly. Red came closer and nuzzled close to the monk with a wicked smile. “See? Our Companion has enough fondness in his heart for us that he would brook traitors and even defend them”. Green smiled just as evilly and nodded. “Yes, I do” he said.

When they left the room together, Joel sighed. The next day he was feeling healthy enough to travel. As he was walking around the manor, he felt in danger and lunged to the side. Varazin darted to where he just was with fangs bared. Further down the hall, he could see a young girl with a pink snake tail peeking around the corner at him. Joel sighed and asked why he tried to kill him. Varazin looked offended. “Oh, fuck off Joel! You know why. Now that I’m free of you, I am going to prove once and for all, I’m better than you”. Joel pointed at the floor and told him spread out on the floor in an authoritative tone. Varazin laid down, more out of habit than compulsion. Joel jumped on his back and capitalized on the naga’s mistake. Varazin tried to buck him off, but Joel pushed his face hard down on the floor. “Varazin, I heard about your sire and Sargrin. I don’t want to have to kill you and leave Ralmen and your daughter alone. They don’t deserve that” he said sadly.

Varazin continued thrashing, but he soon stopped. He slammed his fist down on the floor. “What am I supposed to do now? I hate you so much” he demanded. Joel avoided his gaze and said “If you don’t throw your life away, you can rule the East with Ralmen”. Varazin bucked him off and climbed on top of him. “I smelled you on Pizi. If you are mating now, I’ll dominate you and fill you with my seed. Joel shoved him back a ran his fingers against his cloaca. A shiver ran down his spine. “Ha. I advanced to archdemon already. Henry got lucky before and fertilized two eggs out of the dozens I have. Since then, no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t impregnate me anymore. There’s no way you could dominate me and make me spawn” he said confidently. He flicked his tongue out and said “Your soul really does smell different. Damn you Joel!” he yelled at him as Ralmen slithered up to them. 

Ralmen was shocked for a moment before he also pounced on Joel. “Give me your seed Joel. I will not ask you again” he said angrily. Ralmen pulled off Joel's trousers and let them fall to the floor. He then brought the monk’s manhood inside his cloaca and moaned. Joel also moaned as the black naga thrusted up and down along his length. It was not long before Joel felt the heat coil in the pit of his stomach. He orgasmed inside Ralmen and he hugged him in the throes of passion. Ralmen moaned as he felt filled with his beloved’s seed after pining for him for years. Ralmen pulled off him and said “I’m going to have a full clutch. I’ll have probably seven eggs. You’re so strong, my offspring are going to rule over the rest of the demon country”. He was rubbing his stomach blissfully with his eyes closed. Joel smiled as he pulled up his trousers. 

Allie and her mother came by as they were talking and looked at them. Ralmen greeted them and slithered down the hall past them. “Until the day I die, I won’t get used to all these demons roaming around” Allie’s mother said Joel raised his eyebrows. “Why did you move here?” he asked. She said “Allie’s father died years ago from illness”. The midwife turned to him and gave him a look. She said “Here, I don’t need to work. I get treated like a highborn lady here. Those sex demons here, they keep me company. My life is better here, but its still really crazy”. Joel couldn’t find fault with that. “Boy, you fell asleep for some years, right? I don’t think you had my name. It’s Miranda”. Joel nodded as the moved on with their conversation after giving a nod to the distressed naga. 

Sebastian was being carried on his father’s back. Vysel smirked at him and said “I was right, he can both eat food and absorb energy”. Joel smiled at him and said “I was there when you were named”. The child’s visible eye sparkled in delight and asked if it was really true. Vysel confirmed it. “I wanted to name you something else” he said with a pout. “Why don’t you name a second child?” Joel asked. “You know why Joel. The woman and her mother will one day die and leave him behind. One day, he’ll die too. They give me joy now, but it can’t last as long as they are mortal. My next child will be a full blooded demon” he explained. Joel understood his logic even if he didn’t fully agree with him. Joel walked off to the manor’s entrance to meet with his new party for his new adventure. Red, Green, Yellow, Izzin, and Remi were all ready to set off. As Joel joined them, four incubi rushed after them. Joel assumed that the unfamiliar one was the one rescued from the beastkin. 

Pizi walked up to him and said “Let me come with you. I have our offspring inside me”. Joel looked at him and warned it would be tough and dangerous. “I can handle it. I made it back from the raid okay”. Joel turned to the others and nodded. “You can come, but I will not be allowing you to feed on me. You have to find your own food most of the time”. Pizi smiled and nodded his understanding. Joel looked at Red and asked if he had any demon cores. Red laughed at the question, “Would I be me if I was not prepared?” he said grandly as he materialized a bag of cores. Joel took the bag and looked for the big ones. He threw one archdemon core to Yellow and handed two to Pizi. He simply said “You both should advance at least once before we leave the demon country” before giving the bag back to Red. Yellow was supported by Red while Joel personally fed Pizi and held him through his advancement. Pizi’s horns grew longer and curved in on itself and he writhed in agony for half an hour as he sprouted wings from his back. Joel was concerned for him and made sure to keep him safe in his arms.

When Pizi was finished with the pain he was too tired and weak. Yellow was as well. Joel then crouched down and carried Pizi on his back. Yellow had to walk by himself as no one wanted to carry him. They walked from the manor to the edge of the demon country within a few days. As they got to the rope bridge, Joel looked to the others and said “When we cross the bridge the energy of the demon country won’t sustain you. You will need to eat. Also Izzin and Remi need clothes so they can walk in human form”. The hell hounds were upset that they had to rely on the archdevils for help of any kind. They still shifted to human form and and wore the clothes they were provided with their magic. They hated it, but they didn’t complain. They crossed over and the demons all shuddered a bit from the . Joel smirked and they set off. When they got close to Hollowclaw, Joel turned to them and said “We need to hide your appearances. We do not want them to be alarmed and agitated after the first raid”.

Red, Green and Pizi looked more human as their horns, wings, and tails faded away. They looked otherworldly, but they would not immediately raise alarm. The hellhounds could pass for humans if they just kept their mouths shut. Joel tossed a cloak over the horns Yellow had. He grimaced but they all walked through the town and went to the port. They looked and saw if any sailors were going to Egressi or Yuk’ne. It seemed that there was a ship heading to Egressi in a few days. The first mate was looking around shiftily and said. “We are going on official business to gather some trade. Of the grey kind if you catch my drift. If you really want passage, you can make a deal with me, man to man” the tigerkin said with his hand outstretched. Joel turned his head to Green. “Do we have something to give him?” Green waved his hands and a shiny emerald scales. He gave it to the tigerkin. “What the fuck is this thing?” he said as he looked at it. Green smiled and explained that it was magic set of scales. “Whatever you put on one side, will be equalled on the other” he explained.

The first mate looked at the scales again. “Get out of here! Really?” he exclaimed in a curious disbelief. He fished out his coin purse and set the scales on the floor. He set the coin purse on one end. After a moment, another coin purse appeared on the other side. “Damn! What type of sage are you to just give this out?” he asked. Joel said “Never mind that. Let us on your ship and you can keep that magic artifact and we won’t tell anyone you have something worth more than a whole fleet of ships?”. He gulped and clutched it tighter. We set sail day after tomorrow so don’t be late. Joel nodded and turned away. The others quietly followed him. Joel found a temple of Agrella and met with a cleric accompanied by a young acolyte. Joel bowed and told him who he was and that he had been captured in the demon country. They asked for proof and it was easy as lifting his shirt to reveal his sigil. “I want to sail back to Parcel, but I really have no money. I must have some stipend as a fellow member. I don’t want all- just a few months worth for food and passage to return home”. They sighed and arranged to give him five months of his stipend in a small chest. It was a fraction of the five years he was gone for. It would have to do for then. He left the draft of the Magnum Opus with them. They graciously accepted it and said they would send clerics to copy it and send it out for approval. 

Joel left the temple and rejoined the others. He took them to an in and they shared three rooms and had dinner. The demons were taken with the novelty of eating. They enjoyed the fresh fish and potatoes that were being served. The next day Joel took the hounds shopping for more clothes for him, Yellow and the hounds. They bought cheap but efficient clothes. The others were told they could explore as long as they did not talk to anyone or attack anyone. They came back with money they won at gambling. It seemed that while Red was terrible, Pizi and Yellow were average and the best of the four was Green. It was something to keep in mind for Joel. They others wanted to play so they played a bit before Joel went to bed. The hounds had followed him to his room to sleep with him. They others continued to play with the other visitors of the inn. In the morning Joel came down to see an absolute mess. Chairs were smashed and drink mixed with blood on the floor. Joel was furious. “What happened here!?” Red sheepishly popped up and said “They accused Green of cheating and a fight broke out”.

The others seemed to agree with that story. Joel turned to Green and asked if he was. “Why would I cheat? They are so easy to see through as it is” he said with crossed arms. Joel sighed and said “Everyone change clothes now! We need to leave”. They did and they left the carnage that was now the inn. They made it to the docks and met the first mate. “You smell like a rough time this morning” he said as they passed him up the plank to the ship. “Really rough. I hope you can get us past the captain” Joel replied. He shrugged and said “I don’t think he’ll mind new recruits who don’t shy away from a little blood letting”. Red chuckled at that. After an hour a more grizzled bearkin man walked up to him. “I was told to let you on with us. There be no free rides on my ship. If you want food and sleep, you better work” the captain said. Joel assured him that while not sailors, they would pull their weight if told what to do. The captain smiled quite savagely. “Aye. Pull your weight. I’ll get the others to tell you what needs doing. Do it and there be no problems from me” he chuckled.


	15. Chapter 15

For the next week they were worked like true galley slaves on the ship. It was new work for them and while they were all physically up to the task, the spirit was hard to conserve. The crew treated them like humans and would therefore discriminate against them in both words and actions. Working the rigging and swabbing the deck was way beneath them. As time progressed further, they made up for dwindling supplies by raiding merchant ships. The first was a perfect target and there was no resistance. The second ship had armed guards and there was some casualties, but they were still victorious. Joel kept his party out of the fight. As they saw the coast of Egressi, the saw a large contingent of five gallions and three galleys. There was no way to run from the faster ships. The pirate ship was boarded and the captain was of Vice Admiral rank. He was human and spoke in a breathy tone. “This island is rebellion to the king and we are dispatched to form a blockade around it”. The pirate captain said he would then politely be on his way. The human laughed condescendingly. 

He gazed at them and said “Please. You’ve many enemies Darkfur. Rich, influential enemies with friends in high places. You all have a high bounty on your heads. You will be a nice bonus for my commission when I send you all to the gallows”. Joel whispered to his party “Get ready to kill all the enemy humans on the ships. We need to get to that island as free as possible”. They nodded and Joel stepped forward and said. “Why don’t you let us go. You have a very important war. You can’t suffer many losses can, you?” The vice admiral sneered at him. “Wallowing in piracy is its own sin. Fraternizing with these flea-ridden furry scum is just a marker of a certain level of moral deficiency” he said loud enough for all to hear. Joel sighed and said “These ‘flea-ridden furry scum’ are going to steal all your ships and take you prisoner”. The vice admiral laughed as he jabbed the hilt of his balde in Joel’s gut. Joel fell to one knee. “Don’t destroy the ships! Keep this one alive and kill all the others” he said. Red and Green disappeared with Pizi and Yellow. Izzin and Remi ran to Joel’s side. Joel unsheathed his weapons and so did the naval officers and their crews on the ship across the plank.

The battle was fierce and contentious as everyone was in absolute melee. More of the navy came across and began to engage the beastmen. Blood was being shed as the fighting raged on for what felt like hours. The hellhounds were just as likely to use their fangs and claws to kill their enemies as much as a fallen sword. Soon Red and Green returned to the battle. “Where are the others” Joel yelled over the clashes at them. “There on the other boat this connects to so we can box them in in‘ Green said calmly as he used his whip to knock the plank and the three soldiers on it to the ocean. He then also slice another man in half. Red was just burning them using his scepter. He also would bash their brains out if they got into melee range. Soon there was only three officers left and they surrendered. The beastkin looked at them warily as they were all in their true forms. “Oi! We don’t want no trouble now. We had no idea who or what you were”. Joel nodded and smiled. The captain looked at him before laughing loud enough to alert the whole crew.

Red looked maliciously at them and said “Let’s punish them Joel. We can make them suffer for days before they die”. Everyone was in agreement with him. Joel however shook his head and said “It’s fine. Agrella says ‘They who toil wisely will soon enjoy the fruits of their labor’. I don’t blame you for rough treatment you would show any new sailors you had, right Captain Darkfur?” to everyone watching. The bear smiled and said of course. “You can’t toughen up if you can’t even handle sailing and grunt work! I’m glad you get it” he said. Joel smiled and said “Yes. And I am glad you answered my call to arms. You didn’t have to do that. You could have turned on us and tried to bargain”. “Never crossed my mind! What do you take me for?” he said with a wide smile on his face. “Of course only a captain with small fleet at his command” Joel praised with a similar fake grin. At those words the bearkin’s smile turned genuine as he gazed at the ships before him. “That I am, yeah…. That I am” he said looking at the future before him. “We need to make it to shore. I’m sure the first mate can take us”. 

Captain allowed him to take Joel’s party with a rowboat off the side of one of the galleys. After a half hour, they reached the rocky shore. “Thank you” Joel said. The first mate scoffed and said “I never gave you my name? Whenever you need someone to fix something for you or a trip to get out of here, call for Caspian!” he said before he pushed the boat further into the water. Joel turned to his party and checked them for wounds. Whatever wounds they had were already healing already. “I think I’ve found a way to get what we want even faster”. They looked pleased and followed along behind him towards a road. When a cart passed by with a peasant family on it, Joel hailed them. The man stopped the cart and greeted Joel. “Morning good sir. We are lost foreigners and we need directions. Where is the lord’s manor?” he said. The man looked to the left and to the right. He stared at them and said “Listen, our lord has gone mad. Causing a war due to a slight from the Emperor. If you came from him, you might as well turn around and bring an army with you”. The man pointed from where he came from. He gave great directions and they enjoyed a further conversation. 

Eventually they made it to the Lord’s mansion. It was a bit more prestigious that the manor that the nagas lived in. Pizi was able to glamor the guards and pull them away from their post while the others slipped in. Pizi then dismissed them and followed the rest in. It was easy to find the lord lounging in a high chair. He blinked at them and pointed at them. His court and the guards of the room all paused. “Who are you and what do you want?” he demanded of them. Joel smiled and bowed deeply before him. “I am called Sir Joel Cassandrason the Clear-Eyed of the holy Order of the Owl’s Wing”. The lord snorted and said “I don’t care about a boy whose mother is the most interesting thing about him”. Joel narrowed his eyes at the comment. “We offer you our might as a small mercenary company for your upcoming conflict”. 

The lord blinked and sat up straight. “How did a group of bookish clerics and martial idiots hear that?” he accused. Joel then rose from his bow and said “You are mistaken, my lord. No clerics or monks here aside from myself. This is a company made by myself”. This made the lord pause for a moment before asking for references. “Ask the Captain Redfur. He will vouch for our prowess in battle” Joel said. “Why would I trust the word of a pirate worth a nice set of dinners in the capitol?” he asked blandly. Joel took a step closer and said “Because we gave him a small fleet of ships that were set to blockade your port”. The court gasped and sent one of the pages off to get word if that was true. He looked a bit uneasy and asked “What do you want and how much will it cost?” Joel smiled sweetly at the man. “Two things, my lord. Sign us on as a small mercenary company in your employ with raiding and looting rights as well as the rights to any manors or castles we take”. The lord glared and demanded he continue with his eyes. “I want you to raise five temples. Four of wood and one of stone on this island. The details of which we will get into in private”. 

It was a hard bargain but he shrugged and said “I’m already against the chopping block. The greedy Emperor had promised me his heir in marriage to my only daughter. Turns out he was bought for a high price and all I had right to was his third son. I guess I could be thankful he didn’t give me his bastard. So I told him to shove off and told him his minister was no longer welcome. He would not leave me so I had him tarred and feathered. I am a silly man who will be killed for a moment of insanity. My name will die with my daughter. If you could help, I would certainly let you try”. Joel frowned at the explanation. Unwise actions like that displeased him and he didn’t care to hide it. Within the day, the page returned and recounted the story he heard of the naval battle off the coast. The court was pleased and then dismissed for the time being by the lord. Joel met with the lord and his steward to draw up the contract. “Are you quite sure you are fine with only looting, raiding, and occupation rights? No payment aside from the immediate construction of the five temples?” he questioned them. Joel smiled and waited for the seal to be affixed.

When the deal was struck he asked for a map of the continent. The lord sighed and pulled one aside for him. Egressi is a massive archipelago with one major island, ten minor ones, and three tiny isles. The lord explained that the three isles in the middle were where the demons spawned and those that sailed to close to their shores would meet their doom. While the Emperor was a fellow human, some of the islands were not. One of the minor islands were inhabited by clans of dwarves. Another was the homeland to some elves. Beastmen of prey and beastmen of the hunt were on two separate islands. The rest were dominated by humans. The lord pointed out all the different islands and their lords. Joel had a plan of attack and smiled. “Thank you we will set out first thing in the morning”. The lord asked what the name of the company was. Joel looked at Red and chuckled. “Fool’s Errand, my lord” he said.

The next day, as promised, they went off to the port. They were fed with a lavish dinner the night before. Pizi needed to take a guard aside and tumbled with him. Pizi came to Joel afterwards and told him that he was still loyal to him. Joel encouraged him to do what he needed for his and the children’s safety. Pizi caught Joel by surprise when he kissed him suddenly. It made him blush furiously. Joel looked around at the docks for Caspian. They were able to find him and his crew laughing it up as they stumbled off one of the ships. When they saw Joel and his party they froze. “We need you to take us to the this island” he said as he pointed it out in the map given to him by the lord. The bearkin captain looked at them and said “Climb aboard. We can get you there by lunch!”. They did and they were there by lunch. They thanked him and told them they could go back if they wanted. They waved goodbye and went back.

They took two hours making their way to the mansion of the island. Before they went in, Joel pulled them aside off the road. “We need a banner for our mercenary company. Something that expresses what we stand for in a simple to see symbol or image. Red and Green, do you have any ideas?” he prompted. Red produced a banner that was red with a bright green, and yellow flame. Green looked pleased with it and so did the others. “Fine. This is really good. I will hold it and it will represent us” Joel said. They continued up to the gates with the banner. He stood several yards from the guards. “We are the representatives of the great mercenary company called Fool’s Errand! We have been contracted by Lord Quimberly to take this manor and occupy the the island. Tell your lord to surrender or face the wrath of Fool’s Errand!” Joel yelled at them. They did not take it seriously at all. “Alright kids, run along now and take your little flag somewhere else. We have work to do”. Joel flinched and said it is your job to tell him he’s under attack. The guards shrugged and told someone to inform the lord. 

A long time staring the guards down later, and the lord did come to the gate of the property. Joel repeated his spiel and told him to surrender. The lord refused. “Dress your children and family in red clothes. If you do not submit by nightfall, you all will die and be captured”. The lord saber rattled and threatened and called them names. Joel silently took the abuse and smiled. He only nodded and helped keep the others calm. The lord and his retinue went back inside and the front guards narrowed his eyes at them. They left and enjoyed the sights of the island. Red and the rest were probably just as excited as Joel was. When night fell they returned to the mansion and asked if they would surrender. The answer was a firm no. “Kill everyone except for the lord and those dressed in red” Joel commanded. The demons disappeared and hounds engaged the guards at the gate.

Joel saw the people in the mansion run through the windows away from death and carnage into the hands of more death and carnage. When ten minutes had passed, it was silent. Soon Red and Green came back with the lord and people dressed in red. They were either panicking in terror or in shocked silence. Joel walked directly to the lord and asked him if he finally wanted to surrender. He did and Joel looked at Red for a moment. “Can you jump back to our lord’s home or is it too far?” Red thought to himself and said “What are you even saying right now? Look at me Joel! Of course I can go”. “Take him to our lord. Have him surrender directly to him and sign documents to that effect. Also tell them the mansion will be in your occupation until his garrison arrives to allow you to rejoin the company” Joel instructed. Red growled and said “Are you getting rid off me Joel? That is not cool”. Joel brought him in a big hug and said “I want you to bask in the glory of your win. You have to do this. When you come back when it is all done, you really need to stay inside and hide”. He looked unhappy as if he did not fully trust him. Red then roughly grabbed the lord and disappeared in a really big ball of flame. Green chuckled after him and said he was upset. Joel agreed.

The rest looked around and marched the prisoners back inside the mansion. Joel saw the blood stains on the walls and almost retched. The survivors were sat in the main hall as the others fell asleep in rooms that were still clean. The next day they made sure all the prisoners were taken care of and told them to behave. They spent the next few days waiting around until Red came back. When he did, Red told them how successful he was at doing what he was bid by Joel. It was clear that things were successful. Joel told Red to ensure the safety and comfort of all the prisoners until their lord’s men arrived. Red nodded and the rest of the party left for the docks to catch a ship to their next target. As they got there, they saw a familiar large galleon coming into dock. It was the pirates again and Green teleported them onto the deck of the ship. They were only slightly surprised and took them where they wanted.

The next island actual had a small castle. The lord of this island was actually a duke from the royal family. As they saw the banner Joel was jolted by the realization that he fort something very important. He looked to Green. “You have to go back to Red and tell him to change all the banners so they display our symbol before the lord’s men get there!” he said with urgency. It made Green jump in surprise before going to do it. He disappeared and returned ten minutes later. “We did it. Luckily, you were able to cover your mistake. Please don’t make anymore. I would not be so forgiving” he said. Yellow snarled and said “Listen to what you’re saying. We should just beat him for making the mistake in the first place!”. Joel smiled at them and deeply apologized to them. They approached the castle with the banner and Joel repeated the same speech from before. 

Differently from before, the guards lowered the gates and began trying to shoot them down with arrows. “Kill everyone except for the duke. Take him alive at any cost” Joel yelled from cover. It was a harsh battle to defeat all the soldiers and knights in the castle. Joel ran in through the destroyed gate and ran into the castle itself. He pushed past the servants and took on the inner guard with the hellhounds. Joel traded blows with one of the captains before he felt a sharp pain in his side. He had been shot from outside the window. Luckily his armor was able to keep the wound from being too deep. Joel yanked it out and yelped. Izzin came to his side and made sure he was okay. Remi looked back quickly as he was still fighting. “Are you okay?” Izzin asked as he sniffed around the wound. Joel was hurt but he was confident he could continue. By the end of the day they had found the duke and his family. They were huddled in a secret room and were about to commit group suicide. “We don’t want your lives, we want this castle” Joel said as he snatched the potion and poured it on the floor.

Green took the Duke and his family over to Lord Quimberly. When he returned Green switched the banners and Joel told the group that Yellow would manage the castle. All of the prisoners of worth were already taken. Yellow was therefore given free reign over the castle and everyone in it. The rest was of the party were off to the next island. When they got to the docks, they saw the next island in the distance. It was a beautiful and clear day. “Can you get all of us over there in one go?” Joel asked Green. Green said it would take two trips to get everyone across. Joel told him to take the hellhounds first. He nodded and roughly yanked their collars. Before Joel could hear their protest, they were already gone. Green came back for Pizi and Joel. This was an island with another mansion. It was substantially easier to topple than the others as there had been word from a survivor. Apparently, he was all too ready to give in to any of their demands if it would spare his life. Green took him and his family over to Quimberly for safe keeping. Joel put this island under Pizi’s control after changing the banners.

The final step in the plan was to target the Emperor himself. He knew it would be totally beyond the pale to kill his family. What he could do is try to capture him. After spending a few days in order to travel to the capitol. It took another few days to see how the greedy Emperor treated his subjects. He seemed to be a bit vainglorious, but he would be among his people at certain events with his children and wife. Of course commoners could only see him from a distance as he and his family socialized with his noble court in the public eye. It seemed the majesty brought reverence and respect from all classes of people in the capitol. They had just missed one such event and needed to wait a week to see another one. Joel was able to let his stipend provide for the four of them in a cheap inn. It way easier to pay for four than it was for seven. When the day came, they made sure to reach the venue early. They were going to listen to the concert hall to listen to the music of Egressi’s greatest bards and composers.

Joel was saddened to spend a whole month’s worth of his stipend for two tickets in the noble’s box across from the royal box. The hounds had to sit in the commoner area with the rabble. To say they were displeased was an understatement. Green used his magic to imitate what some of the nobles were wearing. Green made their outfits a beautiful clover green. It certainly turned heads. Joel saw this and started a whisper campaign. He greeted an old woman and told her and her friends that they were some of the leaders of a very successful mercenary company. “I don’t want to take attention from the venue or the performance, so I hope you can keep most if not all I’ve told you in confidence. From the bottom of my heart, I pray you enjoy the event madame” he said before turning back to his seat. He spent a lot of time explaining what was about to happen and why people liked to do things like it. “It seems like a waste of time. Why waste the short lives you have?” he asked. “It gives the short time meaning if it is pleasurable and spent well” Joel answered before the Emperor and his family arrived.

Everyone rose to greet him and bowed in his direction. They were comfortably seated and so did everyone else. Joel could still hear whispers about them and smiled as the gathered musicians began to tune their instruments and the program began. It was two hours long and it was entertaining for Joel. He was used to sacred text being sung to one instrument in chant. It was a world of difference from what he was hearing now. Green was also moved to the edge of his seat. He was looking toward them in wonder. Joel wondered how the hellhounds were taking the music in. The program ended to thunderous applause. Even Green began to slowly clap, not used to the motion. The Emperor rose from his box and made his way over to the noble’s box. It was not terribly long until the Emperor approached them. Joel introduced themselves again as two of the leaders of the foreign mercenary company. The Emperor asked if it was common for nobles to become swords for hire. “When the passion of youth suits them” Joel said calmly. He held onto Green’s arm and yelled “Now!”. Green grabbed on to him and the disappeared in a big gust of wind. Lord Quimberly was pacing around when they popped into his path. It startled all of them frankly. 

Joel allowed the lord and the Emperor talk at each other for about twenty minutes before he got in the middle. “Lord Quimberly, have you drawn up the proper declarations?” he asked. He perked up and said that he had a copy. He had his steward bring the copy. “Sire, I had sent the original out days ago, but this is a formal declaration of war! You have disgraced me and my only daughter and you have shown greed unbecoming of a monarch. That is to say nothing of that discreet fleet to capture me. I have captured certain strategic positions and have taken some members of your family hostage. I would think it wise to concede”. The Emperor stood totally flabbergasted. Thing way beyond his ken had taken place under his nose. His face turned to a thin line and said “What are your terms, Lord Quimberly?” in a voice devoid of emotion. The lord that hired him smiled and said “I am just so pleased you see things my way”. The steward brought another paper and read out the terms.

The Emperor was to owe him a public apology for the dishonor he gave the good lord as well as the secret arrest. He was to grant all the conquered lands in the war to Lord Quimberly to divide among his associates, namely the Fool’s Errand mercenary company. Finally he would abdicate the throne to his third son in a year’s time. Within that time the third son and his daughter would be wed with resulting children in her line. The Emperor wanted to protest, but he had no real recourse to take. He signed the terms and signed the secondary copy. Green went to collect the hounds and soon the three of them were back. Izzin and Remi rushed over to Joel. “That was what mortals call music right!? Right!?” Remi said. Izzin also looked excited. “I want to listen to more music” Joel could imagine that if the were in dog form their tails would be wagging all over the place. Lord Quimberly said “Yes. We can have music this evening if you would like”. They looked like they were going to pounce on him. Joel held them back. 

A month passed and news of the Silent War as it was being called spread around Egressi. As the contract stated Fool’s Errand had ownership of the mansions and castle. The wooden temples were making great progress. The stone one was barely scouted out. It was expected that the wood ones would be finished within two years. Red insisted that he rule over the castle as the “leader”. Green decided to live with him and they decorated it with the things they liked and made all the other things they liked. Joel was fine Yellow having the smaller mansion to himself. He decided to live with Pizi and the hounds in the larger one. Lord Quimberly received quite the windfall from the added tax revenue and the ransom money he received. Joel took a bold step and wrote a letter to the capitol of Parcel. He wanted to see the state of his family. It took a while but a skeptical letter came back.

Jeremy was barely able to keep the fury from the pen strokes as he called Joel an imposter and a vicious liar. “I don’t know how you were able to get your foul hands on my deceased brother’s work, but if you ever come here, I’ll kill you with my bare hands” he wrote. Those around him were surprised at the response. “From his viewpoint it feels like an insult that someone is trying to get him to believe someone who died long ago is still alive. It is not a good feeling to have all the fondness you had for someone thrown back at you in a mocking way”. They nodded and asked what was he going to do. “I am going to keep in contact with him until I convince him it is me. After that, I don’t really know”. Joel wrote another letter to his brother and sent it out. Joel decided to write down his learning of Infernal to keep his skills sharp. He did not have good enunciation of all the guttural primal sounds. However, he did have a good memory and great comprehension. He took to conversing to the others in Infernal. 

Pizi had started to show his pregnancy and Joel was amazed. His child was in there. He would spend time in chaste admiration of the incubus, often to Pizi’s annoyance. “I’m not a fragile minor demon. We can tumble if you want, otherwise I’m leaving” he would say. Joel would say he was sorry and send him on his way. The hounds would roughhouse and play around with each other and Joel to get their exercise. When they would win fairly, he would let him gloat and be aggressive with in reason. As it was Izzin who would win most of the time, he began to be more demanding of Joel. There was even a time when Izzin climbed into Joel’s bed. Izzin gave a determined look and refused to move when Joel asked him to go back to the floor. Joel sighed and said “I understand that you want to sleep on the bed, but this one is mine. There are other rooms with beds to sleep on”. “No. We should all sleep in the same place. I want to protect you even when we’re sleeping” he responded. Due to this development, Joel let both Remi and Izzin in the bed with him as long as they wore their sleepwear to bed. Joel couldn’t deny that having bedfellows was a new and very pleasant experience. 

Joel received an invitation from Lord Quimberly to the wedding between his daughter and the heir to the empire. He wanted to go, but he was in the vast minority. “Why does the joining of two humans any concern of ours?” Green asked when Joel visited the castle the archdevil were enjoying. Joel explained the relevance of marriage in human cultures. His audience was not moved in the slightest. Joel then smirked and looked at them. Red frowned and said “He knows something we don’t! What should we do?”. Yellow, who had been fetched before the meeting said that he should be beaten, but he was ignored. Pizi asked him what was wrong. “Nothing is wrong. I just am a bit amused that I will be the only one to enjoy all the music that will without a doubt be the best of the best the empire can provide”. Green and both hounds immediately looked like they changed their mind. “Let’s go already Joel” Remi said enthusiastically. Joel let out a small laugh and nodded.

One by one, the others began to agree with the new pitch of music. Joel looked confused for a moment at Green. “If you enjoy music so much why don’t you hire musicians for the castle?” he asked. Green tilted his head and said “Aren’t musicians those who play in the concert hall? I want those” Joel explained the concept of patronage to him and Green looked shocked. “Joel, you can’t seriously mean that humans will just do that anytime you ask if you give them trinkets like gold” he said. Joel sighed and explained money and the basics of economy to the whole group. Red nodded his head sagely “I see. We can get whatever we want if we give them enough of what they want. It’s like a contract but backwards”. Joel looked surprised that he was able to grasp it so quickly. Green asked what should he do to go get musicians. “Some will play for no charge in order to demonstrate skill and spread his name for fame and glory. Others you can bargain with for a price both find reasonable. It’s like the scales you gave Caspian. If you offer high enough, they will beg to play for you. Check the town” Joel offered. Green smiled and disappeared for a while.

The others looked a bit surprised that Green would be so impulsive. “I’ve never seen Green so needy. This music must be the best thing ever” Red remarked. Remi and Izzin began to demand he hire some as well. Joel said he would think about it. Red then said that he really needed to speak with Joel in private. Joel nodded and he was led to a remote area of the castle. Red asked he take of his shirt. When he did Red ran his hands over his chest and back. “Joel. When are you going to do what you said?” he said huskily. Joel raised an eyebrow and asked him what he meant by that. “You said kingdom or temple. We only have a single home. I know you are not resting with just this” he said as his fingers arched. Joel could feel his skin stroked by the sharp claws. This was a clear threat. “The temples are under construction. This is just a small rest in between phases of the plan”. Red nuzzled closer and moaned. “Your body and mind are so pure. Even your soul is the most delicious existence in the world. I want to mark it up and ruin it so bad” Red said in a trance-like state.

Red continued and said “I want your soul. Even just worshipping me would be enough. I would be gentle with you. I would personally take my time marking you”. Joel asked what he was talking about. “Devils and archdevils can give power to mortals if they want. White told me all about it. But the devils would want lots of self hurting and humiliating. I could see myself making you whip yourself in front of me. Or even better… burn yourself”. Joel allowed himself to be stroked and prodded by his claws. True to his word, even though his stroking was not exactly gentle, it never broke the skin. Eventually, Joel gently grabbed his hands and set them at Red’s sides. Red got the message and stopped. He smiled warmly for once and said “C’mon, come to my chamber. We can do that tumble thing Pizi was talking about”. Joel politely refused. “If you want you can go out and tumble with anyone who pleases you if they want you as a partner you know” he added as he walked back to the main hall.

The wedding was not for another month so there was plenty of time before the demons needed to make a firm decision. Joel gathered everyone and had Red take them home. Just as Joel thought, within the week they all came and said they wanted to go. Time passed and they travelled to the capitol together with Lord Quimberly. It was a quiet and respectful time with him and his daughter. They were still unaware of their true identities. His daughter was beautiful and not even the most surly among them couldn’t find a single flaw. Pizi asked if he could try his luck with her and Joel told him no. “She is promised to another. You can do whatever you want, but do not tumble with her”. He looked disappointed and didn’t speak to her at all. The ceremony was very nice. He had experience with officiating weddings, but this was the first time Joel had the luxury of spectating as an honored guest. Afterwards the demons came to Joel to ask about what they had seen and heard.

Having to explain human nature was not exactly hard for Joel, but it was tiring. Joel told them to talk with the other guests, but to behave. Joel spent time socializing with the nobles from around the empire. News of their escapades in the Silent War had spread throughout the land. “Are you angling for knighthood? I doubt our queen to be would refuse you” inquired a young noble. Joel wondered if that would be of use to them. Red would not settle for just being a knight. “We are only swords for hire. I have knighthood, but that was in a different time and place” he said. They murmured amongst themselves. Joel loved many things in his new life with Red and the others, but the glory of knighthood did not draw any affection. He had only had the high honor for a few months. Some of the nobles looked a bit insulted. Joel offered no retraction or apology. There was no reason to fear their ire. The members of Fool’s Errand were called to speak with the newlywed couple. They bowed and kissed the ring fingers of the two at Joel’s direction after he did it. The prince was hostile, but he had no power to do anything. 

After being dismissed, it was clear that the hostility was mutual. “Joel, when it comes time for the next part of our plan, I’m going to kill him” Red said softly with a smile on his face. Everyone was in agreement on the way home. There was no point to stay in a place that did not welcome them. They all split off to their own residences and looked to themselves. Joel continued his work in Infernal and looking after the affairs of the mansion. The servants and musicians were being paid on the large purse of Lord Quimberly. It was not exactly in the contract, but a strongly worded letter to him insinuating what would happen to him if their homes came to ruin had convinced him to pay. Joel still liked to speak to the servants and ask about the land. They also knew that they could come to him if they needed something or had a grievance. One maid was being abused by the head butler. One stable boy had a sick mother that was dying. Joel did his best to be attentive to some of their needs.

Pizi was absolutely round with child. Joel would look after him and make sure that no one put anything together. He already had a talk with him about hiding his identity. He smiled and said “I won’t let anyone know. Our offspring are at stake”. Joel was concerned and asked him how long it would be until he gave birth. He let the incubus know it was essential that the children were born before the temples were completed. Pizi stole a kiss and Joel could his strength diminish a slight amount before he pushed him off. “Sorry. You were so vulnerable, I couldn’t resist” he said in apology. “I have no choice in that” Joel muttered under his breath with a blush on his face. His confession only got him a laugh and an assurance from the incubus that he would spawn in about two months. The news made Joel more anxious than he thought it would. He was soon to have children of his own to love and protect. 

Joel received both very good and bad news in the following month. Both were delivered to him by letter. The good news was that the community of the Learned ones in service of Agrella had taken a vote on Joel’s work. As he had appeared in Hollowclaw to submit it, he was no longer seen as deceased as he had been for the five years he had been gone. With the novelty of a member coming back to life and prestige of a Companion, his work had been accepted and he was conferred the rank of Scholar. He was to appear at the nearest temple of Agrella for the ceremony. With that official scroll was his brother’s scrawl on a separate letter. “You absolute dumbass! You could have tried harder to convince me Joel. I thank the Allfather everyday that you’re alive. If you ever find time to come back from Egressi, you could visit us. Mother would love it if you came back. You know Jane would adore it too”. Joel smiled and held it close to his chest. He needed to get to a temple as soon as possible.

As he was preparing for a trip to the capitol in the next week, he received another letter. It was his sister. Jane wrote to tell him that Jeremy had died. “He was just fine the day before. When the chapel was closed the whole day, they looked for him. He was laying peacefully in his bed with a smile like he was going to get up. Mother and I are in mourning so we won’t be writing any letters anytime soon” it said. Joel was beside himself with sadness. He cried so much he passed out. He woke up alone in his bed. He scrambled out of the room and asked one of the servants to find a veil. When he found one, he put it on immediately. “I am in mourning. I will tell everyone, but there will be no songs or festivities for anyone in this house”. They nodded and soon the word spread. Joel walked to a quiet, small room in the mansion and sat in prayer. He sighed heavily when he could hear the hounds search for him. Joel made sure the door was locked and slumped against the door. “Joel, come back to the bed so we can sleep” Remi said gently. “Let us in Joel! We can smell you’re upset about something. We want to help you” Izzin demanded. Joel held his head in his hands.

The other demons got involved as well. Red and Green appeared in front of him and frowned deeply. “What happened to you? Pizi flew to the castle and told us you were in great pain and wouldn’t see anyone” Green said. Red leaned closer and gently grasped his chin. “Oh. he was covering his face when we first met him too. It has to mean something”. Joel told him what happened. They looked at each other and then looked at Joel. “Humans die all the time. You must have known that it would happen someday” Green said. “Jeremy was my beloved younger brother. How would you feel if your spawnmates died while you were away?” Joel snapped in response. They looked each other and smiled. “If they couldn’t defend themselves, they deserved to die. Of course I would avenge them, but I wouldn’t sit and cry. You have to learn to be cool like me” Red said encouragingly. Joel ignored them and faced the wall. Green crouched down and said “You are very lucky we both are so fond of you. If it wasn’t for the value you show at your best, we would be torturing you right now”.

Red crouched down on the other side and said “It’s hard for us not to do anything to you when you’re showing such weakness. I want to drag that off your face and burn you”. He was practically crooning his sadistic desires. Joel turned to them and said “I’m human and I won’t apologize for it. We are waiting for Pizi to give birth. Until then, let me grieve in peace”. Red smiled before grabbing him by the throat and slamming him to the floor. “You are mine! I tell you to smile, you smile. I tell you to stop crying, you stop” he yelled in the monk’s face. Joel’s vision swam for a bit and he couldn’t breathe. Joel raised a hand to Red’s side and squeezed. Red grunted. “You have some fight in you at least. See? Aren’t I the best for raising your morale in a bad time. You can thank me by giving me your soul at any time” he gloated as he let Joel go after another brief squeeze. Green shrugged and scoffed at Joel as he tenderly felt at his now bruised neck. “I won’t comfort you. You have should known better than to displease us” he said with a smile. Joel rolled his eyes and told them to leave him.


	16. Chapter 16

Green and Red shrugged at his insistence and soon disappeared. His neck had developed a dark purple bruise and his head had a large bump on it. It took a long week in seclusion before his wounds healed fully. He was to go to the temple for his ceremony, but he had to write them to postpone it as he was in deep mourning. He did not speak or smile at anyone as he walked around the mansion after that period of seclusion in the small room. Izzin constantly followed him and made sure that he was eating and sleeping. At one point Izzin tried to hold him down and had Remi push food near his mouth. Joel sighed and just let Remi feed him. He had been fasting and he guessed he could concede to the hounds. “You need to eat and sleep Joel! You can’t lead if you grow any weaker. Losing a sibling is terrible. If I lost Remi, I would need you to help me. We won’t let you hurt yourself” Izzin said upset. Joel was moved that they understood him and did his best not to cry.

After sleeping with the hounds and meditating on the wise words he had heard before, he was able to move out from his mourning. In the morning, he cast off his viel and smiled towards his hounds and thanked them for what they had done for him. He spent the day playing with them and even allowed the servants to take the day off of work as well. They were all overjoyed their sensitive and attentive master was back in his right frame of mind. Joel made plans to travel to the temple alone for his ceremony. He left post haste and made sure that everyone was aware of where he was going and why. It took a few days to get there but he was welcomed with open arms. He was bathed, blessed and made pure when he got there. Joel could see that he was being respected by the elder acolytes and idolized by the younger ones. He was known as the leader of Fool’s Errand and a military leader. Now it would be spread far and wide that he was a respected Scholar as well.

He often heard whispers that he was bestowed a miracle as he was unchanged after five years in the harsh demon country. Joel wished that if it were true, she had spared his life instead. He stayed overnight in solemn and humble prayer. He was sad that he felt no supernatural feeling on his soul that night. He thought that if he really tried hard enough that Agrella would visit him like before. It was too much for Joel to ask for. In the morning, Joel schooled his face to look like he was pleased and unaffected. The day started with a humble prayer session in the temple proper with all the clerics and acolytes. He stayed like this for a week learning and teaching those that were interested in the temple. Even commoners visiting would stay to listen about his travels and the many types of demons there were. He would always be pleased to teach more people. They would then have a small meal in the evenings. The day of the Ceremony, they walked outside the gates of the city with a portable shrine and a copy of his Magnum Opus, transcribed and illustrated. 

They walked in a procession with the head cleric leading the group with a small page ringing small bells. Next, was a group of four clerics carrying a platform with the shrine on top. Next was another cleric holding the Magnus Opus in front of Joel dressed in flowing blue silk robes fit for an emperor. Behind him were the other clerics and further on were the acolytes of the temple. It was a grand display of the might of the worship of Agrella in the capitol. Joel kept that in mind for later. It was good to know that his cults were going to have to be underground for the very beginning. It was telling that there was only two temples to Agrella in all of Egressi though. He smiled wider as his goddess was still powerful in the land. Joel returned his attention to the ceremony at hand. It was great and it made him swell with a little pride in his accomplishments to that point. If only his father and brother could see him.

Joel stayed in the capitol for a few days talking to the acolytes and the clerics. He received a parting blessing and returned home. As he returned up the road to the mansion, the hounds ran out to greet them. They pounced on him and nearly knocked him to the floor. He had missed their company while he was gone. Pizi was inside the mansion and looked really stressed about something. Joe took him aside and asked what was wrong. “I don’t have enough energy. They will be born any day soon and I don’t have enough to give birth safely. Not without killing some of the servants” he said anxiously. Joel placed a hand on his shoulders and said “You can feed on me for now until after our children are born. I won’t abandon you Pizi”. The incubus smiled and said “I’ve tumbled with many humans and demons. Your energy was the best of all. I can’t wait to have it flow inside me”. Joel gave him a warm smile in return. Pizi cringed a bit as he smelled him. “You still smell holy. I’ll have to change that later tonight” he said as he walked down the hall.

True to his word, Joel would visit Pizi’s room everyday after dinner. The incubus would suck on his loins and swallow his seed. This happened for five days in a row and each time Pizi would shudder in bliss and sigh. Joel would feel sleepy and walk to his room to sleep. On the sixth day, he was woken up early in the morning by a servant. He looked very concerned. “Master Joel, I am to fetch you for Master Pizi. He said it was pretty urgent you see him” he said with eyes shifting away from him. Joel was worried for him and rushed over to see the incubus. He then dismissed all the servants and told them to vacate the hall. Pizi was naked on the bed sweating and writhing in pain. Joel held him down and steadied him. “I’m here for you Pizi! What do you need?” he said. The dark skinned incubus was panting in labor. “Help!... Hold me tight… so I can push them out” he got out with a struggle. Joel did his best and helped the co-father of his children push them out.

The pain was so great that Pizi fell into his true form. He cried out as his wings were being crushed on the bed. They had to shift his body to take the pressure off them. Joel marvelled at the truly gorgeous creature under him. Joel wasn’t sure if it was pure affection or Pizi’s influence on him, but he leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. Two hours later, three beautiful babies were laid out on the bed. There were two boys and one girl. Their skin was all a rosy pink. The girl had hair the same color as a stormy day and Joel’s green eyes. The boys had hair the color of wheat and light pink eyes. Joel went to procure damp rags to clean them off. Pizi was tired, but his body as an archdemon was very adaptable. He looked over the children and smiled at them. “They are only just born and they are already stronger than Sebastian” he cooed. Joel nodded and said “Sebastian had a human mother and demon father. These children have an archdemon and a Companion for fathers”.

Joel took his daughter and looked at her as he raised her up. “I will name her… Rachel” he said after a moment in deep thought. Pizi frowned and picked up one of their sons. “I hate all your human names. This little one will be called, uh, Macha” he said looking in his face. Joel put his daughter down and picked up the other son. “Since we are taking turns, I’ll name him too. He will be called Lionel”. Pizi growled and put a glamor on Joel. The monk fell forward on the bed as he felt his whole body heat up. “I told you to stop. I need more energy after all that work. I think you know what’s going to happen next right?” he smirked in triumph. Joel gasped in pain and said “Just don’t get pregnant again. I need you at your best and without any easily seen weaknesses”. Pizi took his time pleasuring himself using Joel’s body. Joel felt very dirty and cheap being used the way he was, but he couldn’t fight him off with their children on the bed with them. Pizi eventually let him go and curled up next to the monk.

When the sun rose, he was still drained. He cooed at the children that looked so pretty, he could barely believe they were his. But now that it was quiet, he could see that the boys had his thin lips and his daughter shared his eyes. While he was inspecting them, Pizi woke up and started to grope at Joel. Joel pushed his hands away and turned back to the children. Pizi was not going to be ignored and pressed his body against his back. “Joel, I want you so badly!” he cried out. The monk burned up and said “Stop being greedy! We did all types of things last night”. He remembered and it made him embarrassed. Pizi shifted closer and said “Yeah, but I never got to penetrate you. I can smell no one’s done it before”. He started to grope and rub Joel’s bottom as he cooed. Joel pushed him off and told him to stop. “I don’t want that, so don’t bring it up again or I’m going to get angry” he added before he put their children in between them. “Pizi, can you sense if they developed any cores? Sebastian did, but it didn’t really solidify until the next day” he asked to change the subject. Pizi looked intently. He pointed out where they were. The boys had their cores on their right hands. Rachel’s was in her left hand. “They are already way bigger than the one in Sebastian’s eye” he observed. 

Joel had to go and hire two wet nurses for the children. He told the servants that they were long lost relatives who would stay with them. The servants of the household were discreet and smart enough to not disagree with them. Red and Green came to see them and provided them with magical artifacts as presents. Green gave the three emerald instruments. A lyre, flute, and a set of panpipes materialized. “These will aide them if they wish to embrace their demonic heritage in the future”. Joel nodded and thanked him. Red looked at them said “I want to give all them something they will use with humans”. He materialized three ruby grails. “These will generate a poison or medicine if they want it and whisper it to the grail” he said. Joel thanked him gratefully and took the gifts away to a safe space. Red and Green poked and prodded at the children and looked like they were unsure of what to do. 

Pizi was also unsure what to do with them. “When we were spawned, I could walk and talk like I could do now. Are humans really that inferior to us?” Yellow snorted. Joel loved his children and told them that it was normal to take a year to learn to walk and begin to speak. Izzin and Remi came and sniffed them. “If they are your children, they are a part of our pack. We will protect them with our lives” Remi said. They finished looking over the children as there wasn’t any good interaction that they could have. Joel got all of their attention and announced the second phase of the plan. “Now that Pizi is fine and healthy and I have three children to love, I will now get to tell you the next stage of the plan” he said. “I will contact Lord Quimberly and tell him to quickly commision three sculptors. One will show you in a human form in a benevolent light. Another will show your human form in angry pose. The final will be of your true forms. These will be put on display in your temples” he explained.

As that happened, it was very easy to see that they were both interested and excited. They did want Joel to go on with the plan. Red volunteered to go to the lord personally. He disappeared in a ball of flames. When he came back, he had three men with him. “The lord had some artists on hand to make a draft. He said to wait for him to find stonesmiths”. Joel looked at the nervous men and asked them about their crafts. Two were painters and the third was a semi-famous interior designer. Apparently, he would travel around and help design new buildings. Joel gave him a nod and told him he was hired. The painters were taken on as well. “You will be painting art of these four. Each subject will get two paintings. You will be rewarded handsomely if you do good work” he said. They nodded and set out to work. The subjects all relished the idea of their power and beauty would be on full display.

When the four stone sculptors had finally been hired, the painters had already finished their oil portraits of Red. Joel had to keep hounding the lord to get them hired. One depicted Red in his demonic and human forms as a ruler. Both featured his scepter and him posing in a way that showcased his foolish, but charming demeanor. The other painter showed Red as a wild pyromaniac. Fire was the major theme in both paintings. The first was Red creating fire from his hands in his demon form. The second showed him next to a witch pyre on fire and smiling. The sculptors had their twelve blocks of marble sent over to the mansion. Green was not keen on posing for long periods of time. Red was also pretty miserable, and while he had greatly enjoyed the result, he threatened to kill them all if they bored him again like that. Green granted them an enchanted chisel that would form the stone to their mind’s eye. “Get it over with quickly, or I will kill you slowly” he warned. Understandably, all twelve statues were finished in the span of a single day. Joel had a firm hand in the posing for the stone sculptors. He also calmed the nerves of the sculptors by saying their demonic forms were costumes.

The results were really good and the sculptors were dismissed. The painters decided to split the workload decided to work on two subjects. Pizi and Yellow were chosen. After another five months they were largely finished. They then switched subjects. While they were busy Joel was working on the larger points of their cult. Namely the theology, prayers, offerings, and worship. It was largely for Red and Green so they had the most say. “Why should mortals worship you more than other gods?” he posed the question to them. “Really? I’m cool and everybody likes cool things. Why not worship me?” Red answered. Green looked at him like he was an idiot and said “I’ll protect those that worship me and slaughter those that hate me”. Joel nodded and said that it was as good a reason as any. Joel told them he would write their story of bravely facing the Tramisian Demon Lord with the party of the human hero. “Make sure to add all of the cool things I said. Humans will love hearing wise things”. Joel chuckled and said he would try. He would also have to work Yellow and Pizi into the narrative. Yellow was actually present so it was easier than with Pizi.

Eventually he had wrote the framework for the grand theology for the pantheon. Next, was to gather their separate precepts for their favor. Red had requirements that his adherents all be “cool”. When pressed on that, he flinched and said “Uh, well… being cool is… like being epic and liked by everyone. Stuff like that!”. Joel rubbed his temples and said “So a charismatic and clever person. Maybe liking fire as a bonus”. Red smiled sheepishly and nodded. Green had no base requirements other than they liked the color green. Yellow raised eyebrows when he said he wanted to allow his initiates to prove themselves by fighting a current member in a fight with their fists. Joel wrote that down and moved on. Pizi said that the three most beautiful men and the two most beautiful women could join as clerics each month. However ugly people would never receive his favor. 

Joel drew a circle in the garden behind the mansion. He had gathered all of them and was going to allow them say in the way they would be receiving prayers. He had Green and Red create sixteen candles, four for each. Three according to their requests and a white one. “Place your candles within the circle in the pattern you would like your worshippers to use when they pray to you”. Red placed his red candles in the center and at 12 and 3 if it were a sundial. The white candle was placed at 1. Green had his white one in the center and the other green at 12, 4 and the 8 on the edge of the circle. Yellow had his yellow candles on 11, 5 and the center with the white one at 2. Pizi was the different one as he had more than two colors. The two light brown candles were at 12 and 6. The pink and white candles were placed equidistantly between the brown ones so i formed a vertical line with the pink on top of the white. Joel took note of all the positions and smiled at them. Red and green enchanted them so they would gather the attention of the right demon. Joel took all sixteen to his special hiding place. 

By this time Macha, Lionel, and Rachel were learning to walk. Joel instructed everyone to allow them to crawl or stumble on their own. “It is important that they are encouraged but not coddled so they can do it on their own” he lectured. The three were clearly bright and were able to point to things and label them correctly. They referred to both Joel and Pizi as “Father”, much to the endearment of both. To get them through teething, Red had given them all demon cores to suck on and bite. It got them through teething as well as let them advance. Pizi reported that their cores had grown bigger at some point. Joel told Red not to give them any more “I want them to choose whether they want to embrace their humanity or demonic nature”. Red allowed him to do that and did not give them any more cores. Pizi clearly favored Macha because he named him and he resented the human names. 

Joel did not have favorites, but he made sure that Lionel and Rachel received as much affection as he could to balance Pizi’s favoritism. He kissed over their cores and they would smile and laugh at the attention. The interior designer had been in contact with all four and been talking with them for the whole of his stay. He was the only one allowed to know what the plan was and therefore he was not allowed to leave. Joel gave the task of guarding him to Remi. Izzin was charged with the safety of the children. The designer drew sketches based on the personality of each demon. Joel told him the specifics that had to be included in each temple, but the rest was all up to him. The demons had the final say, but they quickly agreed as they were not concerned with the layout of the temple. Joel returned to ask what they wanted as a sacrifice and how often they wanted it. 

It was important and they all thought heavily about it. Red wanted a large eternal flame to be fed holy oil and wood so that it would not go out every six months. Green wanted a day of music to be played in his honor in the temple every two months. Yellow demanded that in his temple the strongest should fight for the honor of having a major prayer answered every year. Pizi decided an orgy every four months would please him. As for the physical shrines and holy symbols they also had free reign to choose as they pleased. Red conjured up a ruby sculpture of a fireball. He also made one of iron that could be worn around the neck. Green made a large wind chime for his shrine. His symbol was a chain with a green bell attached. Pizi requested a small iron model of a bed with messed up sheets be his shrine. His holy symbol was a heart with wings, one like a dove’s and one like a bat’s. Yellow’s shrine was a golden fist. His symbol was a hollow thunderbolt made of iron on a chain to be worn around the waist. Joel took the artifacts and put them in his special place.

For the final preparation phase, he needed Red. When he told him what he wanted, he laughed and said “Of course! Here you go” as he made a crimson cabinet appear. “Put something in their and it will be tripled” he instructed. Joel took the chest holding all the artifacts for the demon’s shrines and put it in. After a moment he heard a clatter and Joel opened the cabinet. The chest was replicated and there were now three. Each had all the contents of the original chest. Then he copied the text he made for each demon. He then put the tripled manuscripts back him to take out nine. The next day he stood before them all. “I have done all I can. What happens next is up to you. I am going to submit the final designs for the temples. You all need to go out on your own and attract followers. I have a suggestion for each of you but you are free to do as you please” he said. He then gave them the texts that they would give out to their faithful. They looked them over and smiled. 

They all looked at him to continue. He said “After a couple months, send your followers to your temple. I will be preparing the final touches to your temples and overseeing the decorations based on the designs. I will contact you when the time is right. Most people pray to a god for something specific or an aspect of life they enjoy. I have an aspect you can play with in order to have some direction. Red you will be a god of pyres. Both for funerals and executions due to the use of fire. Green can be a god of strong winds. Pizi is obviously a good god for seduction and fertility. Yellow, you can be a god of fighting and of competition” he offered. They thought on it and nodded. It seemed that they felt confident with the assignment. Red smiled with malice and said “I expected nothing less from you Joel. This is why I made you come over here”. Joel nodded once and looked down at his plans for the designs. It was an implied dismissal, and they all got the message.

Red, Green, and Yellow all disappeared and Pizi looked at Joel tenderly. “Would you like to give me another hint so I can compete with Red and Green?” he asked halfheartedly. Joel nodded and told him to target maidens, young men and love struck people. “They are the ones most likely to need you” he said. Pizi was actually surprised that he was given advice, but he took it to heart. He bent down to kiss his children and said goodbye to his family. He then spread his large wings and flew off in the distance. Joel spent the rest of the day doting on his children. After that long period of preparation it truly was up to them. He told the servants he and the designer were going to settle some business. They wished him luck and Remi came with them. The man was very nervous to go with them. “Surely, you aren’t really starting a cultist den. Four of them at that too” he said. Remi growled “We are going to do whatever we want! You can’t escape so behave or I’ll rip your throat out”. 

When they made it to Lord Quimberly’s island they did all that they needed to hire companies of laborers to execute the designer’s vision in each temple. From there, it was only a matter of overseeing it. They stayed in the lords mansion for the two months it to put everything into its place. Remi kept a watchful eye on him and made sure he didn’t tell anybody their plans. When the only thing to move were the statues, Joel summoned Red and Green. They were able to move the two appropriate statues to their proper places in the temple in the cover of darkness and no one was the wiser. They were also kind enough to do the same thing for Yellow and Pizi as well. It was finally time. He told them to bring their followers to the temple at night and bless the temple and their adherents officially as new gods. They disappeared and Joel sent the message to the others as well. When he returned, he saw Remi tied up. 

Seeing that, he knew something had gone terribly wrong. Lord Quimberly and a squadron of guards flanked Joel. The designer was behind him smiling. “I always knew there was something off about you Sir Joel. Things did not add up from the beginning. Now that designer I had hired as a spy has told me everything I need to know”. Joel opened his mouth to respond when he was struck by the elder man. “First we are going to destroy those profane temples you had me finance. Then it is straight to the temple of Rigby with you”. Joel looked at Remi and asked if he was okay. He was beaten and bruised but he was not bleeding. “They confused me by burning cloth and bringing the smoke in the room. He escaped and then the guards captured me” he growled glaring at the guard and the designer. Joel asked if he could break out of his binds or if he needed to be rescued. Remi told him he could only if he could return to his true form. “You can do it. Don’t kill the lord or the spy though” Joel said.

Witnessing the slow shift into his full size was interesting. He was snarling and going slower on purpose. When the ropes snapped, the guards leveled their polearms at him. Remi”s golden coat was on fire and he was still twice as tall as Joel and he might have even gotten a bit bigger since then. He then crouched down and bit three of them in half. He proceeded to brutally kill all the guards. He then pinned the two traitors under his paws and growled triumphantly. He shifted back into a blood covered naked boy. He was smiling and menacing them. “That felt so good. I want to stay in my true form all the time” he said. Joel smiled and said that he would see if he could find a way to make that happen. Remi was pleased until he looked down at his prisoners and glared at them. He took their arms and bit them. A large dark yellow mark appeared on their bodies and they shuddered. Joel came closer to them to inspect it. “I put a curse on them. I was tracking them by smell before. Now I can track their souls” he said. He then turned to them and said “You’ll never escape me again”.

They kept them in a single room and Remi stood guard. Joel spent time with him and rewarded him with great affection and attention. Joel hugged him, pat his head, scratched behind his ears, rubbed his stomach. Remi was practically beaming with positivity and showing how good he was feeling. “Do I deserve a reward for this Joel?” he asked endearingly. Joel looked at him and said “It depends on the reward you want from me”. He didn’t want to commit to anything that would be impossible or inconvenient. Remi smiled and said “I want a painting of me too. Can I have one? I did good things recently, so I deserve it”. Joel agreed and said he would if he found a painter who wanted to do it. Remi leaned in closer for more attention. Joel was more than willing to give it to him. He climbed in Joel’s lap and grazed his neck with his teeth. “If I bite you, we can stay together” he mused.


	17. Chapter 17

Joel rebuked him and told him not to do that. Remi whined and pawed sadly at his chest. “Don’t you want to be with us forever?” he accused. Joel told him no and pet him briefly before leaving for a room. The next day Joel returned to Remi’s post at the door. “Are they still in there?” he asked. The blond hellhound opened the door and showed them in there. “We have to keep them quiet at least until tomorrow night”. Remi smiled cruelly. “I can bit their throats out so they won’t talk to people again”. Joel shook his head. He needed them alive or things could progress out of control. They kept watch until the nighttime and tied them up. They snuck them both into Red’s temple and waited for the cult to arrive. It took an hour, but they did arrive. They opened the door and snuck inside. Red used his fire to light up all the lamps and the cultists cheered. Red then noticed them and Joel explained the situation.

Red killed them before Joel could stop him. Red smiled in front of his cultists and said “I do what is needed to protect you all. Remember this when you pray to me, okay?”. The cultists nodded and accepted what he said as truth. Counting them, there were about twenty cloaked men and women. There was also a handful of children as well. Joel was upset, but what was done was done. He watched Red light the eternal fire and bless the temple so that it would never burn to the ground. He then left to visit Green at his temple. He had twice the amount of followers inside that Red had. He was smiling as he allowed the cultists bow before him and play music. He eventually began to read to them from the text Joel had written to him. The all sat and listened attentively to him. At the end of the selection he gave them all the holy symbols and placed his candles in the circle in front of the altar so they could pray to him. 

It seemed like a good time to leave when they lit the candles. The next temple he went to was the one dedicated to Pizi. As he walked in he saw the candles were lit and Pizi was in a high throne. As Joel came closer he saw that his followers were participating in a mass orgy. That was too much for the monk’s sensibilities and he left in a hurry. The final temple was for Yellow and he was done putting it off. When he entered, he saw some pretty roguish characters and a few buxom women cheering around two men fighting. Yellow was on a throne slightly elevated to spectate. He was writhing in pleasure in his seat. The worship was probably overwhelming for such a demon as he was. When he got closer to the fight, Yellow noticed him and tried his best to compose himself. “Did you want to be a cleric of mine? I’ll let you if you prove yourself to me” he said. Joel just said he was going around checking on them. 

As he turned to leave, he found his way was blocked. “Not going to get past me boy!” said a really fit middle aged man. Yellow chuckled and said “I’ll make you regret slighting me Joel! I will grant my favor to anyone who brings him down”. The name sparked recognition in some of their eyes but just as many cracked their knuckles and stretched. Joel sighed and raised his hands. If he had time before fights, he would have been able to get rid of them all. Between limiting himself to not kill them and the free for all attitude they had, he had a rough time. Joel knocked out half of them before a lucky individual caught him with a lucky punch to the temple. When he woke up a few minutes later, he saw that Yellow was kissing the top of a young man’s head. The young man looked ecstatic. “That guy there laid you flat” a woman informed him. “You are now my cleric so don’t mess up! I’ll beat you” he said to him as he rose.

Joel got up and felt sore. He stumbled out the temple and limped over to the lord’s mansion. No person greeted him and he dragged himself to bed. He winced as he disrobed and fell into his bed. At some point he felt himself jolt awake. There was a chill that permeated his whole body down to his bones. Joel found that he was paralyzed and could only move his eyes. He heard a husky woman’s voice coo at him. “My boy… I have no idea why Agrella would give you up. You are so interesting”. Joel shivered uncontrollably in terror. She smoothed her hands over his eyes to close them. “Do you know who I am, boy?” Joel could not answer but he had an idea. This is an experience he had with Agrella. It had to be an evil goddess accosting him. All he could do was groan in the fear and dread of that. “Boy, you know me. I am your Dark Mother. I am … well pleased with your mischief. So much so that I will allow your sham to become true. But only if they swear fealty to me”.

She ran a cold finger from the crown of his head to the tip of his nose before propping him up in a sitting position. Joel flopped forward like a puppet without its strings. She rubbed his back and relished the groans and shudders she got in response. She reached to his eyes and opened them slowly. “I see now when I look closer at you that you are not truly aligned with me. You are neither good nor evil. The total chaos in your soul draws me to you” she said. Joel couldn’t say anything, and to be completely honest, he was scared. He heard something metal set down on the floor behind him. “Bring them here and have them drink this dark ambrosia. If they swear an oath of fealty to me, they will become true gods” she said. Soon the presence holding him down faded away. Joel jolted to full consciousness and screamed in fear.

No one came to his aid, but he was able to calm himself. He laid down and saw what was left behind. A metal basin was on the floor with dark fluid in it with an ornate ladle. Joel shivered and fell on his knees in the darkness of his room. “Please! Agrella! Help me! I need you to save me or I’ll really be lost. Don’t abandon me. You said If I escaped death you would reconsider giving me your favor. I did! You have to help me now” he begged as tears streamed down his face. He felt a dark emptiness in his heart. He sobbed on the floor and grieved. And then he became angry. “Fine! If you hate me so much, Agrella, I will go to a goddess that is drawn to me. I am going to do it” he yelled. Then he overturned the bed and etched a circle in the floor with one of his swords. He rummaged around for a set of candles. He slapped them down in the propper places and lit them. Green appeared and asked him what was wrong. Joel held on to the archdevil and told him what happened. “Joel, stop crying. You knew all along this would happen when you started this. Gather the rest of us” he said.

Joel looked at his unaffected face and looked away. He summoned Pizi and told him about what happened. Pizi took him in his arms and tried to comfort him. Soon a rush of calming thoughts flooded his mind. “Don’t fight it Joel. Let me make you feel better”. Joel shuddered in his lover’s arms as the heat slowly spread throughout his body. It was too much at once and his body was primed to reject it. Joel’s vision faded and he lost consciousness as he fell limp in the grip of the incubus. He woke up in his room in the mansion he had called his home for the past year. All the demons and the hounds were surrounding him. Even his children were there too. “We know that you were being scared by the Dark Mother. If I was there, it would be different. I would protect you and you would be able to tell her to go away” Red said. Joel got out of the bed and stood before them. “Where is the basin with the dark ambrosia? I’ll do it right now for you. I’m tired of living in fear like this” he said.

The basin was shown to him in all its glory and Joel looked at them and told them to kneel. They looked like they were going to say something, but he glared at them and repeated his blunt command. They did and Joel walked to them to administer an oath. “Do you all swear to love your new mistress the Dark Mother?” he asked. They all nodded, but Joel shook his head. “Say yes when I ask you a question” he said, devoid of any affection or warmth for them. He repeated his first question and they all said yes. “Will you swear to defend your new mistress and attack all her enemies at her call?” he asked. They said they would. “Will you protect all the followers of your mistress as much as your own?” was the next question. “Pursuant to that solemn oath, will you swear to love and honor those that follow you?” he said. They looked really confused, but agreed to the condition. “Finally, will you swear to put the needs and well being of your cults before your own, and your mistress before that?” he pressed. They looked like they were thoroughly thinking about it, but they all said yes. Joel was pleased with their oath and smiled at all them in turn.

With that, he scooped out ambrosia and held the ladle to Yellow. “Drink and become a god” he said as he sipped from the ladle. He gripped his throat and fell to the floor in pain. He began to spasm violently as he made strangled noises from his throat. The children started crying. “Get them out of here Izzin!” Joel snapped at him. The hound shuffled them all out and shut the door behind them. Joel sighed and looked down at Yellow. He was starting to glow. He moved to Pizi and said the same thing to him. Pizi did and smiled at him. The incubus then dropped to one knee and clutched at his throat. Joel moved on to Red and Green. “I promised that I would do this and here it is. Drink and become a god” he said with a smile on his face. They drank it and sighed in relief. There did not seem to be any pain on their face. Yellow and Pizi were glowing so bright that it was painful. “Remi, lead me out of the room. It’s too bright in here” he said as he closed his eyes tightly. He felt himself being led by the hand. Eventually Remi told him he could open his eyes again.

His eyes were still stinging badly and it was hard to keep them open for any period of time. Joel just decided to keep them closed and crouched down. “Lionel, Macha, Rachel. Come here and hug your father” he said. They all did and squeezed as tight as their little arms could manage. It felt so nice and wholesome that Joel could finally calm himself from the anger and fear from the night before. Joel hugged them back and sighed. “You three are my beautiful and wonderful children. I love you all so much” he whispered to them. They said they loved him as well. Joel raised his head and said “Let’s play in the garden for the day”. Izzin took his hand and they all went to the garden together. When the got there, a servant said “Master Joel, Master Izzin, my young masters! The garden is being weeded and pruned today. The gardener would need the area clear”.

The children were very disappointed and Joel sighed at the servant. He turned to them and said nicely “Let’s go to my room. We can play there”. They said it was okay and Joel was lead there by the group. Remi closed the windows and drew the curtains closed. In the darkened room, he was able to open his eyes. To him the room was if it was in the sun at noon. He played games in the room with them. Eventually they all ended up in a puppy pile. The children were giggling and happy. The hounds were also pleased and happy. Macha reached out and pet Izzin’s head while another hand from Rachel rubbed Remi’s stomach. Joel picked up Lionel and kissed him on the forehead. Lionel giggled at him and closed his eyes. It was all peaceful until Macha cocked his head to the side and slowly sat up. Joel asked him what was wrong and he said “Daddy called me Father”. He got to his feet and started to leave.

Joel got up and followed him. As soon as he entered the hallway, his eyes burned again. He yelped in pain and Macha toddled back over to him. “Are you okay?” he said, clearly upset. Joel assured him that nothing was wrong. “My eyes hurt, but I’m fine. Lead me over to where you’re going with your hand okay”. Macha took his hand and walked off. Joel followed him. Servants that saw them would greet them. “Master Joel, Young Master Macha. Are you doing fine?” she said as they reached the kitchen. Joel told her they were fine and dismissed her. Soon Macha stopped and Joel asked if he found Pizi yet. “Father, where’s Daddy. He’s supposed to be here, but I don’t see him” he asked like he was scared. Before Joel could answer, he felt someone hug him from behind. “I’m here Macha. I was hiding and wanted to make sure it would be safe to see me” Pizi said. Macha sounded pleased and said “Why did you call me, Daddy? We were playing together”. 

Pizi told him that he wanted to talk him about. “Macha, I was the one to give your name to you and so you are my favorite. Do you love me Macha?” he said. Macha said he did. Pizi said “I am serious. I could give you something nice if you would swear loyalty to me”. Macha was quiet and the weight of Pizi left Joel. The former incubus said “Macha, you want to be really strong and a powerful man one day, right?”. Macha giggled and said that he was tickled. Pizi hummed in a briefly confused tone. “Doesn’t it feel nice and warm?” he asked and Joel quickly snapped into action. He scooped his son up in his arms and said “Macha, Pizi is tricking you. You have to be careful”. “How Father?” he asked confused. Joel told him that he was using his powers to make him feel nice. “Listen to what he’s asking you and think about it honestly and carefully” Joel had instructed. Pizi grumbled and asked why his eyes were closed. “I saw your glory in the room and it has ruined my eyes. If you please you might be able to heal me”. Pizi kissed him on the forehead and Joel could open his eyes without pain.

Macha looked from between them and smiled sweetly. Pizi turned to him and plainly said “Be a cleric for me and spread my words all over. I’ll be with you always as long as you pray and sacrifice to me. You are my offspring so you should”. Maca looked at Joel for guidance. “You have to choose whether you want to or not. If you do, there are certain things you must do, but we will help you. If you don’t, I will still love you. Your Daddy will probably be displeased but he won’t punish you” he soothed. Macha turned to Pizi and said he would be a cleric for him. Pizi gave him an evil smile and pat him on the head. Pizi then took Macha and walked off as he told them what he was going to need to do. Joel returned to his room and saw both Red and Green were aggressively trying to recruit Lionel and Rachel, who were on the verge of tears. Yellow was holding Remi and Izzin by the nape of the neck. 

With a simple clearing of his throat, all eyes fell on him. “Please stop being so mean to everyone here. They do not like it” he said. Rachel and Lionel moved behind Joel for protection. Red stepped up to him and flexed proudly in front of Joel. “Yes! I knew Pizi would not get you to be his cleric. You want to be mine!” he said manically. Green said “I think he would rather be my cleric” with a chuckled. Red glared at Green. Green only smiled wider. “Green, I told you before that I won’t let you betray me like that. I’m too fond of Joel to give him up. Even to you” Red said with a darker tone. Green reached out to Joel’s cheek and stroked his face with a thumb. “If you are so sure he wants you, you should be confident” he said with a smirk. Red began to shake with anger and said “Stop… I don’t want to fight here. You would die … and everyone would be sad”. Green asked why he was so sure about that. “Of course I would! I’m way cooler than you so that means I’m better. Back off of Joel!” he grabbed Green’s arm.

Green let him go and looked at Joel. “Who do you want to serve more?” he asked. Joel looked between them and said he did not want to serve either of him. They both looked at him shocked and they got angry. “What do you mean!? You know that you are fond of us. You wouldn’t do all of this for us if you didn’t” Green snapped. Red growled “I won’t let you walk away from me. We fought together. We traveled together. You can’t just leave after everything!”. Joel smiled and told them that he was fond of them both. “No matter what happens, my soul cannot rest unless I serve Agrella. I’m sorry” he said. They were fuming and Joel asked them to lay down on the bed for a moment. They glared at him but they complied. “If you think a massage will pacify us, you are wrong. Those naga you were playing with are weak” Green warned. Joel cracked all the knuckles in his hands. He took of Green’s shirt and jacket and laid him down. He massaged the areas between the wings and down his back to his tail.

Pleasure was radiating off his face. “T-this is not enough to satisfy my anger. Joel, you better do more if you want my forgiveness” Green faltered for the first time Joel knew him. Joel smiled and moved his hands up the tendons and sinew of his wings. Green gasped out and moaned in front of the others. When that was done, he moved down to his tail. Green moved it out of the way and quickly sat up. “Fine. I will let you go. Our fellowship is important to me and I won’t ruin it by being so… aggressive” he said quickly with a blush. This time the blush was a pure and holy golden yellow instead of black. Red pulled his shirt and jacket off before pulling Joel to him and growling in his face. “Green spoke a big game because he wanted to be a traitor. I’m cool so I always forgive him. I won’t lose to you. You’re mine- body and soul”. He then flopped down on the bed. Joel climbed over him and said “I’m sorry Red. I won’t lose to you either, no matter how fond of you I am”.

Red snarled at him and placed his head down on the pillow. Joel began from the top of his scalp and started his massage. “W-what are you doing!? You didn’t do this before!” he panicked. Joel smiled and said “Your passion is more fierce than Green’s. If I do put in my full effort, I won’t be able to appease you”. Red looked a bit nervous and said “O-oh. Well if you want to put this behind us, I’d forgive you. You know I’m cool and nice enough to forgive you”. He tried to get up, but Joel kept him down on the bed. “I’m glad, but if you won’t forgive me without letting me go, I have to continue” he said with a chuckle. Red growled deep in his chest and turned his head to face the monk. “Don’t push your luck. You’re going to be my cleric. Now let me up, or I am going to knock you off Joel” he said. Joel hummed and continued on with his massage. Red went rigid as he glared at Joel. Joel just continued his massage until his muscles loosened in relaxation. It did not take long until Red began moaning.

When Joel reached for his wings after ten minutes of massaging his scalp and back, be stroked them with a fingertip. It was too much for Red. He began crying out for Joel to keep going. “Red, I am really fond of you and will continue. But you have to let me go. Is that really okay with you?”. Red’s eyes was glazed over with lust. He wrapped his bony tail firmly around Joel and squeezed. “No! I still won’t lose. I have you where I want you now” he said. Red tossed Joel to the bed and straddled him. “Joel you’re just a human. I’m going to tame you and make you mine right now. If you think you can escape by pleasuring me, two can play that game!”. Red swiped his claws down and destroyed Joel’s trousers. Red took off his and gloated with his eyes as he compared the sizes of their manhoods. “How about that Joel? I’ll win so, you can give up now and I will allow it” he said. He was smiling with glee. Joel was looking away blushing from him embarrassed. 

He told the hounds to get his children out of the room. Joel reached up to where Red’s core was and rubbed it with his hand. Red shuddered and glare down at him. “Stop resisting me already! I am trying to be nice to you. Why are you begging me to punish you?!” he said. Joel told him that he couldn’t give in to him. Red laughed bitterly and moved his hair out of his face. “Fine then! I am going to punish you until you give into me. You better be ready!” he yelled. Joel was all too willing to oblige him. Joel squeezed the area hard and flipped Red on his back when he flinched from the contact to his core. Joel held him down with an arm to his neck as he started to trace his fingers against his open wings. Red struggled and snarled, but Joel had his full weight on him. It was not long until Red let his body heat up until it burned to the touch. Joel recoiled from him and the new god turned the tables. “I’m going to get you for that. I won’t let you rest until I win”. Red pinned him down and proceeded to put Joel’s manhood in his mouth. Joel gasped as he felt the extreme warmth on his member.

Green looked at Joel as he got closer and said “You might as well give in. We both know he won’t. At the very least, you know that he will answer all your prayers”. Joel moaned out loud as he felt what Red was doing. “Can you help me?” he choked out. Green smiled and said “He would kill me if I did for real”. He tried his best to hold back, but he was still too inexperienced to stop the climax building up in his body. Finally, Joel cried out as he orgasmed hard in Red’s open waiting mouth. Joel felt exhausted and he heard Red chuckling down at him. “See Joel? I turned the tables on you. Now give in. I know that you don’t really like mating. I’ll do it to punish you though”. Joel glared at him and said “If you do, I definitely won’t join you”. Red smiled and just groped at Joel’s bottom. “Hmm, I am really going to enjoy you. Your bottom is surprisingly nice and firm”. Joel looked pleadingly at Red. “Don’t do this” he said. Red smiled and pulled his hips closer. He then started to stroke Joel’s manhood and said “I will and you already know that” he said lazily. Joel looked away and sighed. “Fine, you win Red. I’ll be your cleric and serve you” he said as he gave in. 

Red smiled wide and said “I knew you would give in. I’m too cool to ignore. But now… I think I’m going to punish you”. Joel looked shocked and said “Why!? I didn’t do anything wrong!”. Red rubbed his thighs and said “You did the right thing, but it took too long. Besides you were trying so hard to get out of it”. Joel glared at him and said “I’m yours, but I’m not a plaything. I won’t let you do that for something like that”. Red looked at him hard. “Fine. I’ll let you go for now. Bow down and let me bless you”. He seemed really upset that he wasn’t going to punish like he wanted. Joel looked hurt and said “I didn’t believe you would catch me. I was… unwise. I really didn’t deserve to serve Agrella after all”. His face was focused on the floor in shame. Red groaned out loud hearing it. “Stop saying her name! I won, not you, and not her. You are not allowed to say her name again”. Joel bitterly laughed until it turned almost genuine. Red asked what was so funny. “You were right. You caught me body and soul. But you’ll never have my mind or heart. Those belong to me and her” Joel smirked. Red scowled and stormed off, obviously infuriated with him.

Joel looked to Green who looked at him curiously as he stood up and smiled knowingly. He went to the closet and took out a simple outfit for him to wear. Once dressed, he took the chest and gave it to Remi for safe keeping. He looked at Izzin and said to look after the children. He then held out his arm and said “Bite me. That way when the time is right you can find me”. Remi bit him with relish. So did Izzin. “I have to run. Go to the capitol with the chest. Izzin, take them to the demon country to Ralmen and Varazin. Tell Vysel and Percival whose children they are and they will keep them safe. When I meet up to them, come and join us Remi” he said as he took the candles for Pizi and Green in his pack along with his treatise on Infernal grammar. It was his second work and he was pretty confident. He left out the rear entrance and trekked off the path so it would be harder to be seen and caught. When he eventually made it to the dock. He was able to stow away on a ship going to the island their former lord resided. From there, he ran into the one he was looking for, Caspian. Joel was immediately let on board and after an hour, they were on course for Parcel.


End file.
